Until It Was Too Late
by Helennnn
Summary: Her life had never been easy to say the least, but what will happen when both new and old enemies show up? Will she lose everyone she loves, or will Sakura be able to stop them before that happens?
1. Surprise!

**Warning: Sequel to** _They Never Knew_.

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><p><strong>Until It Was Too Late<br>**By: Helennnn

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Surprise!<strong>

As everybody knows, Haruno Sakura's life has never been easy. It hasn't always been filled with smiles and happiness and there were times she wished she could take back the things she had done more than anything. Some of the things she had done, or had been done to her, were downright disgusting.

This was _not_ one of those times.

Right now, the smile on her face had never been brighter and Sakura couldn't help but let her happiness show as she readied herself for the night ahead of her.

It had been almost a whole year since she and Gaara moved into their condo together and whilst it had been a little hard getting used to living together at first, neither of them had any regrets. How could they? Every day they woke up next to the person they loved with all their hearts, they went to work – or college – where they had always wanted to, and then at night, they returned to each other.

Yes, there were times when things weren't so easy, when Sakura would act irrationally and get jealous or Gaara would be a little too protective (bordering on possessive), but at the end of the day, they loved each other. Well, that and the make up sex was… just wow.

Sakura was still at college and still under the tutelage of Tsunade, but she was very close to passing the first part of her course early. Nobody put more effort into their work than she did. Each and every day, Sakura put one hundred and ten percent into what she wanted to do more than anything. What she wanted was to help others like her, those who were suffering in silence like she had.

As for Gaara, he was already the president of the Sabaku Corporation. Just six months after becoming the vice president, Temari had promoted him to president, saying that he more than deserved it. And he really did. Since he had started to work there, Gaara had matured and everybody who worked at the company loved working for him. So far, he was the second youngest (Temari took the title as _the_ youngest) to take control of Sabaku Corporation, but he did it so much better than his father ever had and many people had told him so.

Right now, as Sakura slipped on a crimson floor–length dress that clung to her curves, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. It was her birthday and the dress was one of many gifts from Gaara. It revealed her back, had a halter–neck of sorts and the dark crimson colour made her skin tone stand out beautifully. It pooled around her feet, dragging behind her ever so slightly as she walked. The dress made her feel like a celebrity or a model! Damn she loved it when Gaara bought her things. It was like he knew exactly what to get her.

The halter–neck part of the dress that went around her neck was almost like a collar, but the slit down the chest revealed her cleavage, whilst still managing to look tasteful and keep her covered. As well as that, there were also diamonds on the collar and around her waist, although there weren't too many on the waist that it looked too much, only an inch or two of them. The slit up her thigh made Sakura's legs look so much longer and as she slipped on the matching diamond encrusted heels (a gift from Temari), she couldn't even deny that she felt beautiful. A part of her wondered if the three siblings had coordinated their gifts because from Kankuro, Sakura had two diamond encrusted cuffs, each long enough to hide her scars.

She was no longer ashamed of her scars, for they showed that despite everything, somehow, Sakura had pulled through. However, she still preferred to keep them covered during parties or dinners or balls. It stopped people from asking too many questions or staring.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Sakura grinned. She and Ino had spent the entire day together at the spa and then at a salon. The blonde had been pretty mysterious all day, asking weird questions and whatnot, but Sakura had barely paid attention. Her mind had been on other things… like how Gaara had woken her up that morning before he had to leave for work. Just remembering how he had touched her had Sakura growing warm and her breathing growing shallow. The things that man could do with his tongue never failed to make her tingle all over! And after making love to her, he had brought her breakfast in bed along with her presents and with him was Ao, who had jumped straight onto the bed and cuddled in between her and Gaara. It was strange, but in a way, she thought of the dog as their child. Though she would never tell Gaara that.

Her hair was once again mid–length, though Sakura hadn't wanted to cut it again. Having short hair had been nice, but it had been difficult to put up and keep out of her face. Quickly assessing her straightened hair and her makeup, Sakura nodded once to herself. She was wearing false lashes, a hint of eyeliner and had dark eyeshadow, making her eye colour stand out. Because of the dramatic, dark eyes, she had gone easy on the lipstick, choosing to stick with a barely tinted red gloss.

Finally ready, she grabbed her clutch bag and left the bedroom, switching off the lights as she did so.

Standing in the middle of their living room was Gaara and when he saw her, he gave her the smile that he saved only for her. It was a smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat and her own smile show. Was it even possible to be so in love?

She was in Gaara's arms in an instant, his lips ghosting over her own. "You're so beautiful."

"You don't look too bad yourself." she whispered in response.

Indeed he didn't. Gaara had actually put a lot of effort into his outfit tonight – which kind of surprised Sakura. He was actually wearing a tuxedo! Damn he looked good in them.

"We should get going."

"Did I really take that long getting ready?" Sakura asked, genuinely surprised that she had taken so long.

Gaara shook his head and gave her his devilish smirk. "No, but if we stay here any longer, I'm going to tear that dress off your body."

Sakura nodded almost numbly, wanting nothing more for him to actually do that, but at the same time, she was dying to see where he was taking her. Deciding to push her luck, Sakura smirked and pressed her lips to his before pulling away and walking over to Ao.

"Be a good boy, Ao." she told him as she scratched his head. In response, he gave her a lazy look. "And no sitting on the sofa!"

Oh she was so onto that dog. Whenever both she and Gaara left, Sakura knew that he sat on the sofa and just lazed about. She couldn't blame him. No dog liked being locked in a house all day, but Ao really didn't seem to mind. Besides, Sakura always made time during the day to take him for two or three walks – which was a hell of a lot more than what some dogs got.

And then, they were outside stepping into a limousine. Now Sakura was _really_ curious. Gaara never liked letting people take them places, he preferred it when he was the one who was driving. He didn't even like it when Sakura was driving. Although, that wasn't saying much. Nobody liked it when she drove.

She had terrible road rage.

Sakura smirked as she remembered a time when she, Gaara and Naruto had been in her car, with her driving. They were both already wary the moment they got in, so when somebody pulled out right in front of her, almost making them crash, Sakura had lost it. A barely audible giggle escaped her, earning her a strange look from Gaara. The person in the other car had gotten out, ready to apologise, but she had been way too angry, yelling things like "are you an idiot?" and "what the hell is wrong with you?". Oh, Sakura had been ready to beat the crap out of that guy, but Naruto had dragged her back to the car whilst Gaara got into the driver's seat.

Since then, neither had asked her to drive.

Ugh, men. If they thought that _her _road rage was bad, then they should see Tsunade's.

It felt like only minutes later that they arrived, the sight of the grand building making Sakura's eyes widened. She knew of this place! It was where the greatest, most formal events were held. Like last year's Hyuuga formal dinner party! Surely Gaara hadn't managed to book this place just for her?

"Gaara…"

His lips brushed her ear, his breath washing over her as he whispered, "Happy birthday, Sakura."

She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to squeal with excitement whilst the other part of her was in shock and didn't know what to do with herself. So, Sakura let Gaara guide her through the many people standing near the entrance and it took her only a couple of minutes to recognise them as paparazzi. Damn she hated those guys. However Sakura wasn't surprised that they were there. The Sabaku family were extremely powerful and ever since Gaara had taken control, the paparazzi were just about everywhere. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but she and Gaara were still put into at least one magazine or paper every month or two and online, there was a new picture of them pretty much every three days.

They entered the large building when the doors were held open for them, the doormen smiling politely at her and nodding once to Gaara. It was beautiful on the inside! The ceiling was a dome shape made of glass, allowing her to see the starry sky and the ground was made of black and grey marble. It seemed pretty empty at the moment, though. Had Gaara booked the place for only them? It seemed like something he would do, since he didn't enjoy crowds all that much, but he and Naruto had become quite good friends over the past year so it would be a surprise if he hadn't invited him.

Putting her hand into the crook of his arm, Sakura allowed him to lead her to wherever they were going. She loved surprises!

"Where are you taking me?" she smiled, looking around the the dome shaped building in awe. There were intricate paintings, vases and statues everywhere.

It was breathtaking.

Gaara simply smirked. "You will have to be patient and wait to find out."

"Just tell me!"

"No."

"Please?" when she received no answer, Sakura tried pouting, but it didn't work. It hardly ever worked on Gaara. "Fine!"

It was only a minute later that they arrived outside of two tall mahogany doors and on each side of the doors were two doormen. Like the others, they smiled politely before almost dramatically opening the doors.

"_Surprise_!"

She could only stare with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Sakura was telling herself to close her mouth, that the sight couldn't be attractive, but she couldn't. All she do was stare at the sight before her.

She and Gaara were on a balcony, looking down at what seemed like hundreds of people as they all shouted up "surprise" to her. Already, Sakura had spotted a few of her friends and her parents. Also, she wasn't too sure, but she could have sworn that that was Tsunade at the bar. The only reason she guessed it was her was because the blonde had thrown a hand up in the air and yelled "surprise". There was always something about the way Tsunade shouted that made you _know_ for a fact it was her.

Beside her, Gaara smirked, feeling rather proud of himself. It hadn't been his idea for the party, but the surprise part of it had been his idea. It was Temari who came up with the idea for a party, saying that Sakura needed to let her hair down once in a while. Sure, it wasn't the type of party Temari had in mind, but they had to keep in mind that Sakura didn't like drinking (couldn't drink) alcohol anymore. It often made her mood changes much worse and didn't mix very well with her medication.

Sakura barely even noticed when Gaara started to guide her down the stairs. When they had left their home, she had thought they would be going out for a romantic dinner, not this. This was…

It was perfect.

"Thank you." she whispered, her eyes drifting up to meet his.

In response, his smirk changed into a soft smile, one that was barely even noticeable, yet she knew it was there. "You deserve it."

Oh how Sakura just wanted to kiss him, but she knew that Gaara didn't like public displays of affection. They made him uncomfortable.

The moment they reached the bottom of the stairs, a blond was swinging her around in a bear hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her. Sakura couldn't help but hug him back, though. Over the past year, her and Naruto's friendship had grown just as strong as it once had been. They were both over what had happened between them, although they would never forget about it. They loved each other, but it was in a way best friends loved each other.

"Happy birthday, Sakura–chan!"

"Naruto, put me down!" Sakura grinned as her feet once again touched the ground and Gaara put his hand on her waist to steady her. Then, as her eyes caught sight of his outfit, she rolled her eyes. "An orange tie? Really?"

Naruto grinned. By now, everybody had gone back to their conversations, although a few people had started to make their way over to her. They were all dressed up just as much as her, though Sakura certainly felt like the most beautiful tonight. Perhaps it was because of the way Gaara kept looking at her? Did he even know he was looking at her like that? It was making her heart beat faster and Sakura just about managed to stop from throwing herself at him.

"Don't you like it?" Naruto pouted, feigning hurt. "Hinata picked it out for me!"

Sakura raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "She did? And why am I having a hard time believing that?"

Since the end of school, Naruto and Hinata had become good friends and not too long after, they had fallen in love. Well, Naruto realised Hinata's feelings for him were a bit (_a lot_) stronger than just friendship. At first he had been unsure. He didn't want to ruin their friendship and risk something happening between them like what had happened between him and Sakura. Sakura had felt awful for weeks seeing the saddened look in his eyes. Eventually though, Naruto had decided to take a risk, saying she was worth it.

Next week, it was going to be their sixth month anniversary of being together.

The next person to hug her was Hinata. She looked stunning in her knee–length lavender dress. It had a high neckline and sleeves, though it didn't surprise Sakura all that much. Hinata had never liked revealing her body to people. Well, to everyone except Naruto. She was from a traditional family and followed their beliefs.

"You look beautiful, Sakura–san." Hinata told her quietly before releasing her. "I hope you have had a good day, so far."

There was a mischievous twinkle in the Hyuuga's eyes, making Sakura narrow her own before smiling. Were there more surprises? Oh God she hoped so! "Thank you. So do you! And it's been great. Ino and I went to the spa and salon for the day. You should have joined us!"

Hinata only smiled and shook her head. "I was busy today. Perhaps we could go some other time?"

"Definitely."

Naruto put his arm around Hinata's waist, pulling her against him. "Come on, Hinata! I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Naruto–kun."

As the couple walked away towards the food, Sakura couldn't help but smile. It was only seconds later, however, when another couple approached her.

Ino and Sai had stayed together during the past year, though it really surprised Sakura that they had. The blonde had complained about him a few hundred times, saying he was too clueless and she was coming close to ending it all. They managed to pull through it though. You would only have to look at them to know that they were madly in love with one another. Well, if you were fortunate enough not to walk in on them when they were having sex you did. Sakura shuddered at the memory. BDSM seriously was not her thing. Yes every now and then, she enjoyed being dominated by Gaara, but there was a limit. Anything like how those two went at it and it was a no. She just wouldn't be able to handle being tied down and whipped or whatever the hell they did now.

"Forehead!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip as she replied, "Pig."

They grinned before Ino jumped straight into gossip, telling her who was here, why they were here, and the latest gossip she had heard about them. Even though they had finished school, the girl was still a bitch. Sakura didn't mean it in a horrible way, it was just the truth. Even after all this time, nobody dared to get in Ino's way. Nobody except for Sai, that is. He seemed to find it rather amusing to annoy her.

Now, Sai was an artist and had his own studio whilst Ino owned three businesses. One she had taken over from her parents – the flower shop. She loved it too much to allow it to close it down when they decided to retire much earlier than planned and travel the world. As well as that, Ino also had her own fashion line (which she had been planning since they were just kids!), which was now so famous that celebrities and royals had started wearing her designs. The third business was her own magazine (although that was joined to her fashion line). Sakura had her own column in it, though it had taken Ino months for Sakura to agree to it. The column was almost like an agony aunt page, people write to her, asking what they should do and Sakura helped as best as she could. It wasn't just relationship advice that they asked her for, it was also for advice for the mentally unstable, those who wished to be anonymous.

Once Ino had let Sakura and Gaara go, the couple made their way around the room, greeting people, speaking to them for a few minutes before moving onto the next guest. There were so many people here! All of her old friends from school had come to wish her happy birthday as well as her parents, Gaara's siblings, Itachi, Tsunade, even Kakashi!

It wasn't until halfway through the night that Sakura spotted somebody sitting a bit away from the others. Well, more like he was leaning against the far wall, simply watching people. There were two people beside him, Itachi and Kakashi. They were also the type of people who didn't particularly enjoy crowded events such as this one. It made her grateful that they had all turned up.

"So, how are you three loners doing?"

Kakashi sighed, though there was a smile beneath his mask like always. "You're still so mean to me, Sakura–chan."

She grinned at them all, though for the moment, she was speaking with Kakashi. Gaara wasn't with her now as he had told her that there was something he needed to do. "Would you prefer wallflower?"

"I might." he pouted, turning his head away like a sulking child.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura looked at the next person. "I'm glad you came, Itachi! I don't see you as often as I would like."

They had both been rather busy, but Itachi agreed. "I have a day off next week if you wish to meet for lunch."

It didn't even take her a second to agree, making him smile at her. Then, her eyes drifted to the next person. "Sasuke."

Things hadn't been very easy between them to say the least, especially when she heard who had offered him a job. _Again_. Orochimaru. Just thinking of that vile man made her shudder with disgust, made goosebumps break out across her body and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It was because of that monster that so many bad things had happened.

"Sakura."

Thankfully, however, Sasuke never accepted Orochimaru's offer. He instead continued with what his father had wanted. Now, Sasuke and Itachi both owned the Uchiha Company, together.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she moved forward and hugged him, chuckling softly at how he mumbled "you're so annoying" under his breath. They were best friends once again now that Sasuke had managed to get over her, though there were times when Sakura worried he _wasn't_ over her. She didn't like it when he was in pain or sad.

"I'm glad you all came." she told them honestly, pulling away from Sasuke after a moment. "Even if you are simply leaning on the wall, being all antisocial and whatnot." Sakura paused for a moment before asking, "Didn't any of you bring dates? I was told that everyone was allowed to bring a date with them."

They all shook their heads.

Just when she was about to say something else, Itachi's eyes locked onto something, a small smile lifting his lips as they did. Curious, Sakura followed his gaze, only to pause in stunned silence as she saw Gaara take to the stage.

What was he doing? Despite being the president of the Sabaku Corporation, he hated giving speeches. He hated having everybody's attention on him.

"What is he doing?"

Everybody fell silent when they caught sight of the redhead and Sakura didn't miss how some of her friends immediately looked over in her direction, some with the same mischievous look that Hinata had had in her eyes, whilst others looked… anxious?

"Sakura." Gaara called out to her, his eyes locked on hers as he did.

Seeing what he wanted, despite him not actually asking, Sakura made her way to the stage, barely even mumbling a goodbye to the three behind her, two of who chuckled at her, whereas the other merely lowered his eyes to the ground as his fists clenched tightly. Sakura didn't notice. All she could see were the people in front of her, the ones staring at her curiously as she finally reached the stage. And then, all she could see was Gaara.

Gaara met her at the top of the stairs, surprising her once again by taking her hand and bringing her over to the centre of the stage. He didn't let go of it for a second. If anything, he tightened his hold. Her breathing stopped. Why was he nervous? What could possibly make _Gaara_ nervous?

Oh God…

He turned towards her, looking into her eyes with a look much different to his usual one. His usually impassive eyes held a softer look, a look of love and nervousness. It was putting her on edge. Why was Gaara nervous?

Was he going to…?

Still holding her hand, Gaara spoke. "Haruno Sakura," his voice was quiet, yet everybody heard each word thanks to the microphone next to them, "you have to be the most stubborn, determined and annoying person I have ever met." she squeezed his hand in warning, but Gaara paid no attention. "But you're also passionate, strong–willed and loving. If you hadn't made such an effort to reach out to me, I would still be the person I was two years ago."

Tears filled Sakura's eyes. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Nothing has ever been easy for us, but you especially." by now, the hand holding hers was tightening slightly, telling her that he was growing more nervous. She smiled at him in encouragement, telling him with her eyes to continue. "Despite everything though, you keep fighting and proving people wrong. You put others before yourself all of the time, making sure that they're happy, not caring about yourself for a single moment."

Slowly, Gaara reached into his pocket, revealing a small, black box and in the audience, Sakura could have sworn that she heard Ino squeal, very much like Sakura was inwardly doing. Gaara released her hand but kept their eyes locked as he opened the box, making her eyes widen as she saw the ring.

"I want to spend the rest of our lives making you happy," he murmured, "because you deserve it."

Her mouth opened once again, but no words would come.

"Sakura," Gaara gave her the smile he always saved for her and Sakura knew for a fact that she heard many women (some men, too) swoon, "will you marry me?"

Tears fell from her eyes, but Sakura barely noticed as she grinned at him, nodding quickly and throwing her arms around him. She was trembling softly against him and Gaara couldn't help but let out a shaky sigh of relief. He had been so worried about her saying no! Not to mention speaking of his feelings in front of so many people had been… Well, it had definitely been something he had never done before.

"Yes." she whispered, kissing his cheek as she pulled away, looking down at the ring. "I'll marry you."

Normally, Sakura would have made a sarcastic remark, something along the lines of "of course I'll marry you – somebody has to" but nothing would come to her. The ring was beautiful and it looked familiar to her, like she had seen it somewhere before and when Gaara slipped it onto her ring finger, it suddenly came to her where she had seen it before.

"This ring…" Sakura was once again wide eyed, barely even hearing the cheers erupting from the crowd, mostly from Naruto and Ino. "This was your mother's ring!"

Gaara nodded, though didn't say anything.

The rest of the night was a blur to Sakura. So many people had come up to her and Gaara, congratulating them both on their engagement. Her parents had been a little teary eyed as they approached them, Mebuki hugging her tightly whilst Kazashi shook Gaara's hand. Her father had told her that he already knew Gaara was going to propose, that he had already asked for his permission.

Temari and Kankuro had both hugged her, the latter having grown out of his dislike for Sakura quite a while ago. He now treated her like she belonged with his family. They had also told her that their mother would have wanted Sakura to have the ring, which was why, when they found out Gaara wanted to make her his wife, they had given him the ring. Gaara had never gotten the chance to know his mother, so was extremely grateful when his siblings told him that their mother would be proud of him.

It seemed like only minutes after agreeing to marry Gaara that they were home. The entire journey was silent and Sakura couldn't stop staring at her ring finger, a smile obvious on her lips. It was vintage, yet beautiful. There were small designs around the centre diamond and it seemed like the lights danced off of it.

She loved it.

"I love you." she suddenly told him the moment they entered their bedroom. Gaara watched Sakura with a soft smile as she slipped off her heels and removed her bracelet–cuffs before facing him. There was an impish smile playing around her lips as she did. "Help me undress?"

His smile turned into a smirk as he approached her and brushed her hair over her shoulder. As his hands moved over her back, going for the clasps on the diamond studded collar around her neck and to the zip holding the bottom half of the dress together, Gaara pressed kisses against her shoulder and neck, listening as her breathing grew shallow.

When her dress slipped to the ground, leaving her in nothing more than a pair of lacy underwear, Gaara couldn't stop his hands from moving over her body, stroking their way around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. Her hands were on his as he cupped her breasts and Sakura tilted her head to the side as he pressed his lips against her neck once again, though this time in a much more passionate kiss.

"Make love to me, Gaara."

Could you even say 'no' to that softly spoken demand? Gaara didn't think that it would be possible to do so. So, he turned her around to face him, capturing her lips in a tender kiss as he guided her towards the bed, dropping onto it with her whilst she worked on removing his clothes.

Soon, soft sighs and gasps turned into moans as they became one, as they showed the other just how much they loved them through their actions. Gaara's hand stroked its way up her thigh before lifting it ever so slightly and moving against her body with slow and deep thrusts, watching as Sakura closed her eyes and arched into him, her mouth falling open as she did. He couldn't resist the temptation to kiss her, loving how Sakura responded to him without a second of hesitation, loving the feeling of her tongue caressing his.

Neither of them could think of a time when they had felt so happy before.

Perhaps, starting from today, they could be this happy all of the time.

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><p><strong>AN - Bit of a slow start, I'll admit that. But it gets better!**

**Oh and somebody is turning** _They Never Knew_** into a Sims 2 movie! The introduction/trailer has been posted already, so if you want to see it, just click on the link on my profile!**

**I was going to wait until October 31st before posting (no idea why), but I got so excited because I'm in a really good mood. All my coursework is complete and I'm on top of everything for now!**

**Anyways, tell me what you think of the first chapter! Too much fluff? Not enough drama?**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	2. The Secretary

**Chapter 2 – The Secretary**

Sakura couldn't stop smiling as the memory from the night before kept playing in her mind over and over again. She still couldn't believe that Gaara had gone so out of his way for her. He had even pushed aside how he felt about public displays of affection and _proposed_ to her in front of everyone! What would he have done if she had said no? Not that Sakura would have said no, but still.

Honestly, whenever Sakura had imagined him proposing to her (there was no point in pretending like she had never done it), she had always thought of it being just the two of them. It would have been romantic, yet still pretty simple at the same time. However, now, Sakura couldn't imagine a more perfect way than last night. Gaara knew her so well.

Although he tried not to, Gaara had woken her up this morning when leaving for work. It wasn't his fault. If she had been anyone else, she never would have woken up. Since it _was_ her, however, Sakura had woken up the moment she felt him get out of bed. It hadn't always been that way. Before everything that had happened, Sakura had slept like the dead and it had been close to impossible waking her up.

It was the weekend, so she thankfully didn't have to be up and out so early. In a way Sakura felt sorry for Gaara. Being the president of a company was stressful and he only got one day a week off and spent most of that day sleeping. Both Temari and Kankuro helped out as much as they could and were there almost as much as Gaara, but they still couldn't do half of the things he had to do.

Grabbing her laptop, Sakura leaned back against the sofa and sighed, switching it on as she did. There was a gentle breeze coming through the opened doors of the balcony, making her feel relaxed and allowing Ao to come in and out as he pleased. Right now, he was settling for sleeping out on the balcony. She and Gaara only ever opened those doors – or unlocked them – when either one or both of them was in the living room, which was where the balcony doors were. Yes, it would be extremely difficult for somebody to climb up to their balcony, especially since they were so high up, but it wasn't impossible and it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

Her fingers tapped the keys of her laptop impatiently, trying to remember what her password was to her email account. It was like this almost every single time she tried to log in when it had been a while and it never failed to annoy her. Gaara knew her password just in case she could never remember it, but it was embarrassing having to ask him for it. She growled with annoyance, setting the laptop down onto the coffee table and moving over to the entertainment unit, turning on the docking station. It was silent for a few moments before music started to play and she surprised for a moment that it wasn't one of her CDs playing, but one of Gaara's. He rarely ever had time to just sit around listening to music anymore.

_Now it seems I'm fading  
>All my dreams are not worth saving<br>I've done my share of waiting  
>And I've still got nowhere else to go<br>So I wait for you to  
>Take me all the way<br>Take me all the way_

Sakura had grown to love Three Days Grace, whereas previously she only liked a few of their songs. Her favourite song by them was definitely 'Never Too Late' or 'Wake Up', but she liked this song too.

_Seems you're wanting me to stay  
>But my dreams would surely waste away<br>And I still have nowhere else to go  
>So I wait for you to<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way…<em>

Looking through their large collection of music, Sakura bit her lip, her finger running along the cases. After a moment, however, she sighed and stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips as she frowned at the CD cases. Ever get that feeling that something blatantly obvious was staring right at you, yet you can't see it? Sakura had that feeling.

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

Her eyes narrowed further, trying to think until suddenly, her eyes widened as they fell on a certain CD case. God she was so ditzy sometimes! Running over to her laptop, she sat down and typed in her password, grinning to herself as she was immediately allowed access to her email account. It was so obvious that it would have had something to do with her favourite band, Thirty Seconds To Mars. It was probably why she had set it in the first place.

_Now it seems you're leaving  
>But we've only just begun<br>And you've still got nowhere else to go  
>So I wait for you to<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

There wasn't anything too special in her inbox, but then again, this wasn't her email account for her column in Ino's magazine. This was her private account, that only her friends and family knew about. There were also a few subscriptions, though Sakura couldn't recall a time when she had actually read any of them. Well, except from when she was ordering from online stores, that was.

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

Once again standing, Sakura made her way over to the kitchen and grabbed a drink, quickly running back into the living room and back to her laptop. From the balcony, she saw Ao raise his head and regard her with what Sakura presumed as confusion, but she ignored him and logged into her other email account. That password was always easy to remember as it was pretty simple. Not only that, but it was connected to her personal account thanks to Sai.

_And I've been waiting so long  
>And I've been waiting so long<br>And I've been waiting so long_

_So I wait for you to  
>Take me all the way<em>

Unlike her other account, there were hundreds of emails. This was the part Sakura disliked the most. She hated that she could only choose six to reply to. Yes, she could reply via email, but Ino had been pretty strict when she told her not to, saying that it would take too much of her time and quite possibly stress her out.

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

_Push me under  
>Pull me further<br>Take me all the way  
>Take me all the way<em>

Ever since the blonde had agreed to try and be friends once again, they had become much better friends than they ever were before. Sure, there were times when Sakura knew for a fact that Ino hadn't forgiven her completely and there were possibly even times when she questioned Ino's trust in her, but there was nothing Sakura could about it. It was her own fault, after all.

_And I've been waiting so long  
>And I've been waiting so long<br>And I've been waiting so long_

_So I wait for you to  
>Take me all the way<br>Take me all the way_

Switching off her music, Sakura got to opening emails and choosing which six to reply to. It wasn't via email that she replied to the person. No, she copied their questions, pasted them into a word document and then underneath, she typed up her reply before sending the document to the editor, who then did whatever she did to make it look pretty.

_Dear Sakura,_

_I was just recently diagnosed with a mental illness _–_ schizophrenia. None of my friends know yet and I'm not sure how to tell them. How can I explain it to them without gaining their pity?_

_Akane, aged sixteen._

Sakura sighed, her fingers once again dancing over the keys before typing out her reply.

_Dear Akane,_

_There is no easy way to tell people about being mentally ill, so until you feel more comfortable, stick to telling those who you can truly trust to be there for you when times get rough. As for not gaining their pity, I'm afraid there's always going to be pity, even if it is only just the smallest amount of it. Don't feel upset or angry with them, though. They're concerned for you and don't want anything bad to happen to you. If it helps any, I never regret my decision to tell my loved ones about my mental illness._

_Good luck,_

_Sakura._

She got a lot of those kinds of emails, asking how they should tell their friends, when would be the most appropriate time to do so and where.

_Dear Sakura,_

_My partner has recently been undergoing tests and examinations to see whether he is mentally unstable or not. Lately there has been a bit of a struggle and I was worried as to whether or not he was possibly suffering from a mental disorder. I want to be there for him, but I'm not sure how to go about that. Sometimes I feel like if I say the wrong thing, I'm going to lose him and that's the last thing I want._

_Anonymous._

For a moment, she bit her lip unsurely before finally replying.

_Dear Anonymous,_

_There will always be that uncertainty. I'm not entirely sure on how you're feeling, but I know that sometimes, my partner often feels the same way. What we do is we sit down and he asks me how I'm feeling. My reactions often vary depending on how stressed or down I'm feeling. Sometimes I get defensive and moody and other times, I open up to him without a problem. However, he understands me well enough by now to somewhat know what to expect when he receives certain reactions._

_All I can say is watch your partner closely and observe them – although not too closely, as I can tell you from experience that it is not a welcome feeling – and if you feel like he is having a calm day, a good day, sit down and talk to him. Open up to him and tell him you want to help him, but make sure you make him understand that he needs to open up to you in return and that you're not going to leave him when times get tough. That's what he will need right now. Even if he's coming across as defensive and angry, or downright hostile, just speak calmly (yet not patronizingly) and help him calm down. I find that music helps soothe me when I'm feeling especially agitated. Make him see that no matter what, you're there for him. You're not going to let the fact that he is – or may be – mentally unstable destroy your relationship or cause you to drift apart._

_I hope it all goes well for you both!_

_Sakura._

It didn't take her long to finish her emails and when she had, Sakura glanced up at the clock, her eyebrows raising as she saw the time. It was almost half eleven! Gaara would be having his lunch break in about an hour. Should she bring him lunch? Sakura smiled to herself. Yes, that sounded quite nice, actually.

Switching off her laptop and putting it away, Sakura got up and whistled for Ao to come back inside. Once he had, she closed and locked the balcony doors before going into her bedroom, getting changed into a plain black dress. It reached mid–thigh and had long sleeves as well as a high neckline. Because of how tired she looked from the night before, Sakura put on a little bit of makeup, evening out her complexion with foundation before applying mascara and a little eyeliner. There was no harm in making an effort, right? After she had put on a little lipstick, Sakura got to straightening her hair before running her fingers through it a couple of times, giving it more volume.

Once she was dressed, she glanced at the clock, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw it was already five minutes past twelve. Damn, she had better hurry up! Quickly slipping on a pair of nude, four inch heels, Sakura darted out of the room, only pausing to grab her phone, car keys and purse to shove them all in a bag.

"I'll be back in about an hour, Ao!" she told the dog on her way out. "Be a good boy and I'll take you out for a walk when I get back."

She'd take him out for a walk anyway, but still.

Locking the door behind her, Sakura turned around and was about to run over to the elevator, only to freeze when she spotted somebody staring at her. Her fright faded though when she saw the blond hair and single blue eye. "Deidara!" she sighed, her hand raising to her chest over her pounding heart. "You scared me! What are you doing just standing out here?"

About a month or so after she and Gaara had moved in, Deidara and his friend had moved into the condo across from them. At first, Gaara had been angry when he saw who Deidara lived with. It turned out that Deidara's friend was Gaara's distant cousin, though she never really learned why he didn't like Sasori. Honestly, she wasn't even sure that Gaara knew why he didn't like the guy. It just seemed like he disliked Sasori for the sake of it.

She and Deidara had become quite good friends, although not as close as her, Sasuke and Naruto, or her and Itachi.

Deidara shrugged one shoulder, his head resting back against the door. "I was just about to go out. What about you, yeah? Going somewhere important?"

"Yeah," she smiled brightly, "I'm going to have lunch with Gaara. He's been working so hard lately and after last night…"

"Congratulations, yeah." he told, his eyes looking down at her engagement ring. "Sasori and I didn't have a chance to say it last night. You seemed a little busy."

"Thanks." Sakura replied, though she was a little impatient now. It was quarter past twelve and it would take her at least ten minutes to get to the Sabaku Corporation, maybe even longer depending on the traffic. "Well, I've got to go now, so I'll speak to you later!"

Fortunately, traffic wasn't bad. If anything the roads were pretty empty, which surprised her. Whilst on her way to his office, Sakura had picked up Gaara's favourite takeout, smiling happily to herself as she made her way to the elevator, though thanking one of the workers for pushing the button for her, since her hands were full. He made polite conversation with her, congratulating her on her and Gaara's engagement when he spotted the ring and wishing her the best for the future. His words only made her smile grow.

Nothing could bring her mood down today.

Finally on Gaara's floor, she made her way towards his office with her head held high, her hips swaying and her heels clicking against the floor. The only reason she was acting so confident was because of that… _thing_… sitting at the receptionist desk.

"Matsuri."

The brunette looked up, disgust obvious in her eyes as she caught sight of Sakura. "Gaara–sama's busy right now. He doesn't have time for _you_."

Sakura placed the takeout bag on the desk, ignoring the look she received from Matsuri. Nobody and nothing was going to bring down her mood! It had always been this way with Matsuri, ever since she had been hired. The girl had been Temari's secretary at first (though only for a month), but when Gaara took over, she became his since it would take far too long for him to find another. Matsuri hated Sakura and Sakura couldn't even deny that the feeling was mutual.

"Oh?" Sakura raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Is that why he called me only a few moments ago?"

He hadn't called her. In fact, he didn't even know that she was here, but Matsuri didn't need to know that, did she?

Matsuri's eyes narrowed. "Listen, Gaara–sama's very stressed with work right now and he doesn't–"

She cut herself off as Sakura nonchalantly raised her left hand, placing it down onto the desk and leaning forward, her green eyes narrowing dangerously. "No, _you_ listen. If I want to see _my fiancé_, then you can't stop me."

"F–Fiancé?" Matsuri stuttered, her eyes wide. "B–But when did he… When–"

"When did he propose to me?" Sakura finished for her, not even feeling guilty for causing the girl distress. She had been trying for far too long to split her and Gaara up. "Last night, at the surprise party he threw for my birthday."

Not even bothering to wait for a reply, Sakura once again picked up the takeout and walked towards Gaara's office, failing at trying to hide her smirk of satisfaction when she entered the room. Gaara seemed surprised to see her, though his eyes narrowed at the look on her face, knowing exactly what she had just been doing to his secretary. He didn't yell at her for it, though. There was no point. Sakura would still do it the next time she came by.

"I brought you lunch." she smiled at him, walking over to him and when Gaara pushed his chair out from under the desk, Sakura sat in his lap, pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss.

Placing his hand on her lower back to keep her there, Gaara breathed deeply, only barely hiding the fact that he was starving. "You didn't have to do that."

Sakura only shook her head, still smiling as she stood up and passed him his lunch before sitting in the chair opposite him. "If I didn't, you would be a skeleton by now. Really, Gaara, you should try to take at least one short break during the day to have something to eat. I can't marry you if you die of starvation!"

He merely smirked, tucking into the meal his fiancée had brought for him. She always fussed over his health.

It was only twenty minutes later that Sakura was once again seated on his lap and kissing him, although this time, she was straddling him, her hands were in his hair and her breathing was heavy. Gaara was no different, really. His breathing was just as heavy as he held her hips tightly, pushing her down over his growing arousal.

They both knew that this was not the time or place to be doing such things, but they hardly cared. It was Gaara's lunch break and nobody ever came to his office during that time, knowing that there was a chance of Sakura being there. Well, nobody except for Matsuri, but Sakura had taken his mind off the little tart sitting outside. Damn she really hated that girl! Anyway, it wasn't like they had never had sex in his office before. In fact, on the day he became president of the company, Gaara had had her pinned against the wall and bent over his desk, screaming his name.

A knock on his door made Gaara sigh with annoyance whilst Sakura growled. Despite not wanting to, she pulled away and Gaara rolled his chair under his desk to hide the fact that he was turned on. Instead of moving to the other side of his desk, though, Sakura merely stayed by his side, sitting half on and half off the desk. She was facing Gaara, although if she turned her head to the side, she would have a perfect view of whoever had dared to interrupt them.

Why wasn't she surprised when Matsuri came in?

And why wasn't she surprised when she saw the brunette holding a plate of, what looked like, chocolate cake? The girl clearly didn't know Gaara at all! He wasn't a big fan of sweet things, preferring spicy food instead.

"Gaara–sama," Matsuri smiled brightly, ignoring that Sakura was sat beside him until she noticed their dishevelled appearances, making something that looked a lot like hatred flash through her eyes, although Gaara didn't see it because he was too busy trying to ignore the fact Sakura's right foot was stroking his leg sensually and by the time he met Matsuri's eyes, the hatred was gone. "I made you some cake."

He didn't know what to say and when Sakura noticed, she barely held back her snort of laughter, making Gaara shoot her a warning look. "Thank you, Matsuri."

The girl's smile brightened even further as she placed the plate onto his desk. Sakura almost pitied the girl, _almost_. Matsuri seemed to think that because Gaara had silently told Sakura to be nice, that he was doing it because he liked her. She was wrong. He was doing it to stop a fight from breaking out, to save himself the trouble of having to break it up. Shikamaru was a bad influence, even if he and Gaara only spoke when Temari brought him with her to visit.

When Matsuri didn't leave, Gaara looked up at her impassively. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Gaara–sama!" she told him, her dark eyes sparkling as she held back a victorious grin. "You're next meeting has been brought forward and you will need to be there in five minutes."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, knowing exactly what Matsuri had done. "Oi! Gaara needs a rest, even if it _is_ only for an hour. If he doesn't rest, then he'll get stressed and–"

"Sakura, it's fine." he told her, sighing as he stood up.

When she noticed that he was no longer aroused, Sakura pouted. "Fine, fine."

Also standing, Sakura held onto his arm as she put her heels back on, using him to keep her steady. Once done, she turned towards the plate of chocolate cake, eyeing it warily for a moment before shrugging and grabbing a piece, popping it into her mouth.

Only to spit out the pieces she hadn't swallowed half a minute later.

"What the _hell_ is in that thing?" Sakura demanded, her stomach churning as she tasted the awful after taste.

Quickly grabbing Gaara's drink that was on his desk, she gulped it down, trying to stop herself from gagging. She was only vaguely aware of Gaara's worried expression. No, right now, Sakura was more concerned with what Matsuri had tried to give her fiancé. Putting down the drink, Sakura glared at the girl, making Matsuri back up a couple of steps with wide eyes. Despite never liking one another, Sakura had never so openly showed her hatred, especially not in front of Gaara.

"Matsuri." Gaara's eyes narrowed as he turned to the brunette, knowing for a fact that Sakura wasn't playing it up, especially as he noticed she was just about holding down the contents of her stomach. Sakura had only thrown up once during the past year of living together and that was when she had eaten bad takeout. "What is in that cake?"

"Nothing, I swear!" she stammered, her eyes widening even further.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura slowly exhaled, happy that the moment of sickness seemed to have passed. "I'm fine, now." she told Gaara, who was watching her with barely concealed worry. Picking up the plate, she brought it to her nose, smelling the chocolate warily. It smelled disgusting. "Don't eat any of it, Gaara. It tastes like ass."

With that said, she dumped the plate into the bin before kissing his cheek, telling him that she'll see him at home before leaving.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Ugh. Matsuri. It's no secret that I hate her, right? Good.**

**I'm getting another tattoo on Saturday! So excited. It's another kanji that'll be on my right wrist and it's going to say 'passion', so when I put my wrists together, it'll say 'passion' and 'love'.**

**The response for last chapter was great! I was expecting like two or three reviews since it's a new story and whatnot, but I was honestly surprised when I saw that I got seven! Thank you all so much and I hope I don't disappoint any of you! :-)**

**Oh. Two people from college know my fanfiction username. If you're both reading this, please don't judge me! I'm perfectly normal and sane!**

**...I think.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	3. I'll Make It Up To You

**Chapter 3 – I'll Make It Up To You**

She had been sick for the rest of the weekend and spent the better part of it in the bathroom, throwing up whatever she managed to eat. No matter how bland or light the food she ate was, nothing could be kept down. Gaara had been worried and uncertain about what he should do, bringing her a glass of water every hour to make sure Sakura stayed hydrated.

When the worst of the sickness passed, she and Gaara had sat on the sofa together, her head in his lap as he leaned back against the sofa, one of his hands stroking her side soothingly. It had made her feel so relaxed and content that Sakura had fallen in and out of sleep during the movie they had been watching.

It wasn't until she felt herself being lifted that she woke up, looking up at Gaara with blurred vision. "The movie is finished already?"

"About ten minutes ago." he told her quietly, his voice sounding more like a rumble since her head was against his chest.

Sakura locked her arms more securely around his neck, feeling rather guilty. "I'm sorry for ruining your day off."

"You didn't ruin it." Gaara murmured, tightening his hold on her as he nudged the door open with his foot.

"_Please._"

She rolled her eyes, but grew silent as Gaara lowered her onto the bed, putting her in a sitting position as he helped her into her pyjamas. That was probably what Sakura loved most about Gaara. He always made her feel special, like she was the only person that mattered to him. He also never took advantage of her. During the entire duration of him changing her, his eyes never strayed for a second and his hands never touched anywhere that wasn't necessary either.

"What about Ao?" Sakura mumbled tiredly.

Looking up at his fiancée, Gaara couldn't help but smile. Her eyes weren't even open anymore, they were shut and the only thing keeping Sakura from falling back onto the bed was him. "I let him out on the balcony when the movie finished. He's on his bed now."

Sakura nodded. "I'll make this up to you…" she murmured as Gaara was laying her down onto the bed and covering her with the sheet. "Tomorrow. I'll come and visit you on my lunch break."

Once he had dressed down and got into bed next to her, Gaara pulled Sakura against him and held her close, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully unless he was holding her. It had been that way since the night Kabuto had returned along with Zaku. The others such as Karin and Suigetsu didn't scare her as much. No, it was just those two men, the ones that had abused her so many times. Gaara didn't have a problem with holding her as she slept, for it also helped him relax. If he could feel her, it meant that she was there, she was safe.

"Very well." he whispered into her ear, smirking at the way she shivered and leaned back against him.

A second later, her light snoring reached his ears and hearing it, Gaara finally closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him.

* * *

><p>They always showered together. Well, by showering together, Sakura meant that they made love when they were supposed to be showering. Today, however, because of how sick she had been yesterday, they both thought it best not to. Instead, they simply cleaned each other between soft kisses before getting ready for their day. It was still a nice way to wake up, though, if you asked Sakura.<p>

Her day with Tsunade was, as always, hectic. The blonde had taken her on as her apprentice so on Mondays and Thursdays, Sakura spent more or less the entire day with Tsunade. On the other days of the week, she would be at college studying psychology. The only days Sakura had to rest were Saturdays and Sundays, but it was still more than Gaara. He only had Sundays off. It was because of this that Sakura always tried to do something nice for him on Saturday nights when he returned from work and all day Sunday whilst he was resting.

That was why she was so angry. Yesterday was supposed to be the day they could completely relax. Sometimes, unless it was to let Ao out, get a drink or use the bathroom, they never left their bed at all. Instead, Sakura had been throwing up non–stop. Not very romantic, right? Oh Matsuri was so going to pay for that. Sakura wasn't sure how she was going to get payback and she didn't care right now, but soon, that bitch was going to regret getting on her bad side.

"Ridiculous."

Tsunade was practically growling as she entered the staffroom, where Sakura was currently reading a book on different mental illnesses that the blonde had told her to read. Due to patient confidentiality, unless they were comfortable with her being there, Sakura was not allowed in during sessions. Only a few allowed for her to be there and that was only because they were informed that, like them, Sakura suffered from a mental illness. She understood them and she was in no way judging them. Some were often comforted by the knowledge that she was like them and used it as motivation to get better, to seek help.

"What is it, Tsunade–shishou?"

The blonde turned to face Sakura, her eyes narrowed and deadly. "Some absolute idiot has created some sort of medication that is not only dangerous, but can also lead to eating disorders."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure." she growled, rummaging through the drawers for her sake. She had to hide it from the other employees as Minato often confiscated it, saying it would be best to help her patients whilst sober. Tsunade always ignored him. "But when I find out, they're going to regret it. I mean, the damned thing hasn't even been approved!"

"Then how are people buying them?"

The look Tsunade suddenly gave her screamed 'are you stupid'. "Sakura, where do addicts get their drugs from?" Sakura deadpanned. "Dealers. Obviously they have been receiving them from someone, but we can't tell for sure who they're made by. Not yet, anyway."

Sakura chewed on her lower lip. "What are the side effects?"

For a moment, Tsunade silently regarded her before she sighed and sat down in one of the seats. "It is like they're made for those who suffer from bulimia."

"They make you throw up." Tsunade nodded once and Sakura felt fear shoot through her.

Was it possible Matsuri gave her one of those pills?

* * *

><p>Acting as though she didn't suspect a thing, Sakura stepped out of the elevator and made her way over to Gaara's office, completely ignoring the girl sitting at her desk.<p>

However, just as she was halfway to the door, a voice drifted to her.

"How's the stomach?" Matsuri smirked.

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. She _knew_ Matsuri had put something in that cake, knowing that it would be Sakura who ate it! It was most likely one of those pills that had been brought out. The ones that Tsunade had been telling her about. They weren't approved by doctors as they could lead to eating disorders, but somehow, somewhere, they were being sold. However, she shrugged, giving Matsuri an impish smile. "Thanks to you, Gaara and I played doctor and patient _all_ day yesterday." The brunette's smirk slipped away, making Sakura's smile widen. "Oh yeah, he made me feel _so_ much better." Turning back around and knocking once on the door, Sakura threw over her shoulder just as she opened it, "Seriously, Matsuri. Thank you _so much_."

And then she was shutting the door behind her before the girl could say a word.

"What are you thanking her for?" Gaara asked suspiciously as he placed down his paperwork, pushing his chair out from under the desk.

Instead of telling him about the pills, Sakura merely smiled and sat down on his lap. They did this every time she came by. It was how they greeted each other. Through touches and kisses. On the desk sat the lunch she had just placed down, though because it was only a couple of sandwiches (Sakura had thought it was much too warm for a hot meal), they were soon forgotten as she shifted in her place, straddling his lap.

They kissed each other slowly, tenderly, but the moment Sakura rolled her hips against his and sighed with pleasure, things heated up. Their kisses grew desperate and more passionate as her hands found their way into his hair whilst his stroked her sides softly.

However, the moment Sakura reached down to unbutton his pants, his words caused her to freeze.

"Not with Matsuri outside, Sakura."

Rejection.

Even though Sakura knew that it wasn't because of her he was rejecting her, it still brought that awful, painful feeling of rejection. It still made her feel humiliated. Sad. It made her feel like _crying_. Gaara had never rejected her before. Yes, when they were still at school, he had ignored her hints and advances at wanting him to sleep with her, but that was because she hadn't been mentally ready. Her mind kept detaching. Since their first time together, he hadn't said no once (not including the time when she had been drunk).

"Okay." she whispered, pulling away from him. She bit the inside of her cheek, inwardly screaming at herself for acting so weak. So what if he was saying no, now? Gaara would most likely make up for it later by spoiling her. But… She didn't want to be spoiled. She wanted _him_.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Gaara's eyes widened. He knew she was scared of rejection and had completely forgotten about it. He hadn't meant to hurt her! "Sakura–"

"I should get going." Sakura told him, looking away as she grabbed her things. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away. "I have to get back to Tsunade–shishou."

Gaara stood up, trying to reach out to her and pull her against him, however just as he made his way around his desk, she was out the door.

Sakura shut the door behind her, raising a shaking hand and pressing it to her lips. How could she have been so stupid? She must look like such an idiotic slut! Her eyes squeezed shut as she breathed in shakily. Even though Sakura kept telling herself that Gaara wasn't rejecting her, all she saw was him saying no. All her mind kept showing her was him pushing her away. Why? Why would he push her away?

"Did he finally break up with you?"

Matsuri.

It was because of Matsuri.

Her eyes snapped open, glaring over in the direction of Matsuri's desk, but the brunette was too busy flicking through the pages of a magazine to see it. Oh how Sakura wished she could just slam Matsuri's face into her desk. Her hands twitched.

"Well it's about time." Matsuri continued as she rested her chin in her hand, pausing at a certain page so that she could read it. "You've been stressing him out so much with your over–dramatic problems." her dark eyes slipped over in Sakura's direction, barely even noticing how much her words were effecting her. "You're always coming by here, forgetting that Gaara–sama is a very busy man. He doesn't have time to be playing with you."

If Sakura had been able to move at that moment in time, she would have pressed her hand to her chest for it had started _aching_ in response to Matsuri's words. However, right now, Sakura was torn between three options. The first, smashing her fist into the bitch's face. The second, pressing her hands over her ears and refusing to listen and the last, running. Her legs twitched, like they were demanding that she _did_ run away.

"You don't know a thing about us."

Hearing the shake in Sakura's voice, Matsuri raised an eyebrow. "I don't? _Please_. I'm Gaara–sama's _assistant_. I know a lot of things."

"You're his secretary!"

"And what happens between the secretary and her boss?" she asked smoothly, going back to flipping through the pages of her magazine. "Quite a lot of affairs are mostly bosses sleeping with their secretaries."

Sakura's eyes widened. It was a lie. That _had_ to be a lie! There was no way it was the truth. But then again, he had just rejected her for the first time ever. They had had sex in his office before! In fact, two days ago, they would have had sex in there had Matsuri not interrupted them. The ache in her chest grew, almost forcing her to fall to her knees.

"Gaara wouldn't touch you if you were–"

The sound of a buzz interrupted Sakura. It was Gaara. He was calling Matsuri into his office.

"We'll just see about that." Matsuri smirked and, like an obedient dog obeying its master, she got up, pushing passed Sakura so that she could open the doors.

Sakura didn't care if Gaara would be able to see her due to the doors being open. She was too numb to move. Her insides felt like ice but at the same time, it felt like she was being burned, _scorched_. Her eyes stayed glued to Matsuri's desk, even when she felt Gaara's eyes on her, even when she could faintly feel the sob that was fighting, _clawing_, its way to the surface. At the small shake of her body, her bag slipped from her hand to the ground, but she barely even noticed.

"Gaara–sama, how can–"

"Sakura?"

And then she was running.

If she had been able to think of anything other than the pain she could feel, Sakura would have been grateful to all those times she and Ino had played around in their high heels because now, she could run in them with no trouble.

Somebody was calling after her when she reached the ground floor, somebody who sounded an awful lot like Shikamaru and Temari, but like Gaara, Sakura ignored them as she continued running towards the door, keeping her hand pressed tightly to her mouth as though she was using it to keep back her sobs. It didn't make much of a difference. They could all see as clear as day that Sakura was crying. That something was causing her pain.

As she reached her car, Sakura pulled on the handle, only to remember that it was locked. And she had dropped her bag outside of Gaara's office.

"Damn it!"

Her mind kept showing her images she did not want to see. Images of Gaara with Matsuri, of the two of them laughing about how pathetic she was.

"Sakura?"

She spun around quickly, only to pause when she saw Temari and Shikamaru. They were both looking at her with concern and in response she quickly averted her eyes, trying her best and failing at wiping away her tears. All she managed to do was smudge her makeup.

"Hey, what happened?" Temari asked, stepping toward her and pulling Sakura into a hug.

"H–He said… He said no." she whispered as her arms wrapped around Temari.

"Who said no?"

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the looks she was receiving from people passing her by. "Gaara. _Gaara_! He said n–no."

As she sobbed once, Temari winced because Sakura also tightened her hold and the blonde knew for a fact that she would have bruises the size of Sakura's fists on her back in the morning. She could feel them pressed harshly against her back, but she could also feel that Sakura was trying her best not to hold her too tightly. "To what, Sakura? Why did Gaara say no?"

"B–Because," she hiccuped and when she trembled, Temari's arms tightened around her, "because of Matsuri."

Temari pulled back, looking at Sakura with wide eyes. "What? What do you mean, 'because of Matsuri'?"

"I… He… Then…"

"You're not making any sense!" Temari told her with annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

"Oi, Temari." Shikamaru snapped, giving her a hard look. "Ease up. She's upset!"

"And I want to know why." she hissed in return. "If Matsuri has done something to upset you, Sakura, tell me now. I'll deal with her myself."

More tears fell. "_Gaara–sama is too important to be playing with you._" Sakura said harshly. "_You're stressing him out with your over–dramatic problems._"

Both Temari and Shikamaru frowned, exchanging a look of worry before he spoke up. "Sakura?"

"That's what she said to me!" she screamed at them, ignoring the odd looks that were sent her way by the people she had just startled.

"Are you sure that's what she said, Sakura?" the blonde asked, her frown deepening. "I know that you and Matsuri have never liked each other, but I just can't see her saying something like that."

The second Sakura heard her words, she pushed Temari away from her like she had been burned. It was obvious the move shocked the two opposite her as Temari had to quickly catch herself before she fell and Shikamaru also moved forward, though it wasn't necessary. The look they received when they looked up at Sakura was heartbreaking. She was glaring at them with betrayal in her eyes, with disbelief on her features and the way her fists suddenly clenched made them aware of the fact that she was getting angry.

"You're right." Sakura spat, her eyes narrowing. "I'm making it all up!"

"Sakura–"

"Fuck you."

She turned, entering the building once again since she needed her car keys and her car keys were in her bag. Unfortunately for her, when she reached Gaara's floor, her bag was nowhere to be seen and neither was Matsuri. Had she stolen her bag? Wasn't trying to steal Gaara enough for her? Bitch.

Not even knocking, Sakura entered Gaara's office and once she had spotted her bag resting by the side of his desk, she marched over to it, ignoring both him and Matsuri as she grabbed it, turned and was about to walk straight back out. In her mind she could see them both laughing at her in between kisses, could hear them talking about her, about how stupid she was. However as she just reached the door, Matsuri's voice drifted to her ears.

"Well _that's_ rude."

Sakura paused, her hand literally shaking with the need to spin around and punch her. "What was that?"

Gaara stood up the second he heard her voice, heard the tremble in it. What he couldn't tell was whether it was out of anger or hurt. He hadn't failed to notice that when she had been in front of him, her makeup had been a mess. Her mascara had mixed with her tears, leaving her face tearstained and her eyes a smudgy mess of black. It made her eye colour look stunning, but he didn't focus on that. He couldn't focus on that.

"I said," Matsuri sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "that you're rude. Gaara–sama went through the trouble of putting everything back in your bag for you after _you_ dropped it and left it behind and you won't even say thank you!"

After taking a deep breath, Sakura turned around and gave Gaara a painfully obvious fake smile. "Thank you, Gaara–_sama_." his eyes widened at the tone of her voice but before he could say anything, Sakura's smile dropped and she glared over at Matsuri. "Anything else?"

The brunette bristled. "How can you speak to him like that? He's nothing but kind to you!"

"How can I–" Sakura cut herself off, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath. When she opened them again, she looked at Gaara with a look of exhaustion. It was a look that had his insides aching. "I think it'd be best if I stopped coming here. Just make sure you eat so you don't get ill and… and I'm sorry for stressing you out, for bothering you with my _over–dramatic_ problems."

And as the tears started once again, she left, leaving Gaara feeling more confused than he had ever been before. What the hell was happening?

This time, as she made her way over to the door of the ground floor to get to her car, nobody called after her. Nobody stopped her to see if she was okay. Temari and Shikamaru were nowhere to be seen, though she could have sworn that she had spotted Temari's hair out of the corner of her eye. It didn't matter. They didn't believe her. Nobody did.

She didn't bother going back to Tsunade. Instead, Sakura made her way home, forcing back her tears so that she could drive and when she finally reached her floor, she waved half–heartedly at Deidara, who had called her name in greeting, but didn't look at him. She just wanted to go to bed and never move again. He must have picked up on her mood because Deidara didn't say anything else. She could feel his eyes on her, though. Even when the doors were closed she could feel his eyes on her.

Ao greeted her as he usually did. Running over to the front door and barking when he noticed it was her. However, like Deidara, he sensed her mood and was instantly by her side, trying to comfort her by nudging her legs, nipping her hands softly. When she was younger, Sakura had always wondered how the hell nipping at her hands could comfort her, but now, she understood. It was the simple fact that even though he was a dog, Ao was always there for her. He was so loyal and refused to leave her side.

With a tip of her head for him to follow her, Sakura sat on the sofa, allowing him to lay on it with her for once. He acted like a pillow, letting Sakura use his body to rest her head on and every couple of minutes, he turned his head, licking her face as though telling her she needed to wash it.

Sakura sighed and sat up. It was true. She needed to wash her face and the moment she entered the bathroom, Sakura groaned. She looked awful. Pathetic. Weak. Disgusting. It was probably why Gaara didn't want her. He was most likely tired of having to take care of her. Her breath left her shakily as she knelt down and opened her cabinet, reaching for a makeup wipe, only to pause when her hand brushed a certain bottle.

Her medication.

Grabbing it, Sakura stood up straight once again and looked at herself in the mirror. She only vaguely heard Ao whine.

She just wanted to be like everybody else, like Matsuri. Sakura was willing to bet that she didn't have to take any medication to help balance out her moods or help her cope. She was willing to bet that life was so much easier for Matsuri than it was for her. That was the kind of girl Gaara needed. One without drama, without stress. She was stressing him out and causing him problems as she was now.

Why the hell should she have to take medication, anyway? She'd be fine without them!

Slowly, unsurely, Sakura emptied the bottle of pills down the sink, never taking her eyes off them for a second. And once the bottle was empty, she washed away any remains of the tablets before cleaning her face.

It was time to stop worrying about herself. If she wanted to keep Gaara, if she wanted to make him happy, she had to put him first.

She would be fine.

She didn't even need those stupid tablets!

…Right?

* * *

><p><strong>AN - There's a reason why Sakura's taking everything so harshly, by the way! Just thought I'd say that in case you're all thinking she's being dramatic. I'm sure it's pretty obvious what's up with Sakura, especially with the way the chapter ended!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	4. You Don't Believe Me

**Chapter 4 – You Don't Believe Me**

It didn't surprise her that that night, when Gaara returned, he tried to make up for what happened even though he had no idea what he did wrong. And when they went to bed he made love to her, trying to tell her through his actions _and_ words that he was sorry. After, Gaara fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, his chest pressed firmly to her back.

That was when she started crying.

However, just as she pressed a hand to her mouth to stop herself from waking Gaara up, the arms around her tightened and he pressed his lips to her shoulder.

"Please stop crying." he whispered and she could feel the tension in his body. "I don't like it when you cry. I don't like seeing you in pain."

The way he spoke made him sound almost childlike. Sakura quickly wiped her eyes and turned her head away to bury it into her pillow. "S–Sorry."

Gaara sighed as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "Just tell me how to take the pain away."

She didn't turn around. Instead she simply reached behind her and ran her hand through his hair. How was she supposed to tell him what Matsuri had said if Temari and Shikamaru didn't even believe her? Don't get her wrong, Gaara was always there for her when she needed him, but… but this felt different. "Just forget about it." she whispered, her throat feeling tight. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine!"

When she wouldn't turn to look at him, he pulled away and grabbed her shoulder, making her turn to lay on her back so that she would look at him. At the sight of her tears, of her lip looking close to bleeding because of how hard she was biting it, Gaara felt his chest constrict. However, just as he went to wipe away her tears, the bed shook and a wet nose was knocking his hand away. That wasn't what surprised him the most, though. It was the fact that Ao was _growling_ at him. Not the playful growl that he sometimes gave, but a serious growl. A growl that was telling Gaara to back off. Ao had only ever growled at him when he was still getting used to Gaara, back when Sakura had first been given him!

"Sakura?"

Ao glared at Gaara. Thankfully, however, his growling had stopped, though that didn't mean much. If he was getting protective of Sakura, then you should always be careful around him. That was what Kiba had once told him. After all, Ao _was_ more of a guard dog than one you play with.

Sakura petted Ao's head, trying to calm him down. "Stop it, Ao." He turned to face her. "_Stop it_." He huffed, giving Gaara one last glare before he hopped off the bed and went back to his bed in the living room. Then, she kissed Gaara's cheek and settled back into bed. "Goodnight, Gaara."

"No." he snapped, once again forcing her to look at him. "I don't even know what I have done wrong! Was it because I said no to you earlier? I told you already–"

"It wasn't about sex!" Sakura yelled right back at him, pushing him away from her as she got out of bed. For a moment, she seemed confused as she looked around the room before she moved over to the hooks on the back of the door and grabbed her robe, pulling it on and tying the sash. Gaara was right behind her as he did the same.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then what is this about? Because I sure as hell don't know!"

To stop herself from spinning around and hitting him, Sakura took a deep breath and made her way over to the kitchen so that she could get a drink. Part of her was hoping that Gaara would simply go back to bed, but she should have known better. He would never be able to sleep without their problems being resolved and not only that, but being confused and angry certainly didn't relax him. "I told you that it doesn't matter!" she stressed. "You're the one who keeps bringing it back up!"

As he watched her pour herself a glass of water, Gaara folded his arms over his chest. "Well you started acting this way when I told you no because of Matsuri–"

It honestly startled him when Sakura threw her glass into the sink, not even blinking as it smashed and the water that was in it splashed her. "Matsuri! It's Matsuri, okay?"

Gaara ran a hand through his hair before he walked over to her, pinning her with a serious look. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"She has_ everything _to do with this!" she screamed right in his face, not intimidated in the least by the way he was glaring down at her. "You don't notice because _you don't care_."

"Don't care?" he demanded and when Sakura looked away from him, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "I don't care? So all those times I spent looking after you, all those times I stuck by your side and defended you against not only those at school, but also _my own family,_ means nothing?" his voice was growing louder with each passing word and as he realised how angry he was getting, he quickly let go of Sakura so that he didn't hurt her. Turning away, Gaara once again ran his hand through his hair before looking back at her. "How the fuck can you even say that I don't care? You're over–"

"Don't you _dare_ say that I'm overreacting." Sakura warned him and when he heard the shake in her voice, he lowered his hand from rubbing his eyes and watched her carefully because despite feeling so,_ so fucking angry_ with her right now, he still didn't want to upset her. "You wonder why I won't tell you what's wrong!" she suddenly screamed at him, her voice cracking due to the strain and soon, her tears were falling. "I've told you and brought it up with you so many times but none of you believe me!"

His arms twitched with the need to reach out and pull her against him, but Gaara knew better. Right now, Sakura needed space. "It's not that we don't believe you, Sakura." he told her, keeping his voice low in hope that she would do the same. After all, despite how luxurious their condo was, they still had people living underneath and above them. Hell, Gaara was willing to bet that Sasori and Deidara could hear her yelling at him if they were still awake. "What you keep saying… it doesn't make any sense! Why would Matsuri try to destroy our relationship?"

Wiping her eyes, Sakura tried her best to hold back her sobs. "Because she's interested in you, Gaara! It's not hard to see. Damn it! It's like Naruto not noticing Hinata's feelings for him! They're so obvious and _in your fucking face_!" This time, she couldn't help but sob. "Why do you think we don't like each other? It's because I know of her feelings and because I'm with you when she wants to be!" Sakura sat down at the black marble island in the kitchen and put her head in her hands, refusing to look up at him. "You all think that I'm making this stuff up because your_ precious Matsuri_ doesn't seem like the type to say such nasty things, but she is!"

Sitting down opposite her, Gaara watched her with pained eyes. He hated seeing her so upset. He always had and always will. "What has she said to you, Sakura?"

The way her head snapped up, the hopeful look in her tear–filled eyes had his chest constricting painfully. "You're actually going to hear me out?" When he nodded once, she told him everything that had happened that day, about how after he had rejected her, Matsuri had said all those things. "A–And then I told Temari and Shikamaru, but they didn't believe me." she whispered as more tears fell. "Temari said that Matsuri would never say such things even though it _is_ obvious we don't like each other."

"And Shikamaru?"

"He didn't say anything. He just… stood there." Which was what made it so much worse.

Gaara rubbed his eyes tiredly, but he knew that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. "Go back to bed, Sakura, you're exhausted."

Her eyes locked on his instantly, once again wide, though this time with disbelief. "You don't believe me."

"I didn't–"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told your sister." Sakura spat as she stood up. "Fuck you!"

And then she was running to the bathroom and slamming the door shut, but just as Gaara got up to go to her, he heard the lock click into place a moment before the shower was running. To make things worse, Ao seemed to be getting protective once more as he gave Gaara a warning glare and growl.

* * *

><p>"Sakura," Gaara sighed, knocking on the bathroom door, "I need to get ready for work."<p>

She had been in there for over four hours now and Gaara had no idea what she was doing in there. At first, she had been showering and then drying her hair, but since then, it had been completely silent in the bathroom and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried. Luckily, there wasn't a clock in the bathroom, so Sakura had no idea that he still had another two hours before he had to get ready for work.

The lock slid out of place and a second later, the door opened and Sakura walked out, not looking at him and instead keeping her head down. Despite that, however, he still noticed her blotchy, tearstained face.

Grabbing her arm, Gaara didn't even give Sakura a chance to react as he pulled her against him and his heart felt like it was ripping in two as she shook in his arms, as she wrapped her own around him and _cried_. "Sakura, I never said that I didn't believe you."

"You didn't have to." she whispered into his chest. "I could see it in your eyes. I just…"

When she trailed off, Gaara closed his eyes. "You just, what?"

"I wish," Sakura sobbed, "that I could be normal."

Forget it feeling like his heart was ripping in half only moments before because now it felt like it was being savagely shredded. His arms tightened around Sakura. "You're just as normal as anyone else." he told her quietly and no matter how hard he tried, he could feel his eyes beginning to sting. "And even if you're not, that's why I love you. You're different. You're not like them. You're not boring or a pushover and you genuinely care about things. Sakura," he pulled back and grabbed her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes, "if you weren't who you are, I wouldn't be who I am. You reached out to me when nobody else did and if it wasn't for you, I would still be the same boy that I was in high school."

"She really did say those things, Gaara." Sakura whispered to him, her eyes desperate. "I–If you still don't believe me… then how can you explain that cake she tried to give you?" at his wide eyes, Sakura inwardly screamed with joy. Finally, somebody believed her! "She knows you prefer spicy food, Gaara! And Matsuri knew that I would eat the cake. I don't know… I don't know what the hell she put in it, but I think it may have a been a new drug."

His brows furrowed as an angry look filled his eyes. "A drug? Are you saying she drugged you?"

Sakura nodded quickly. "T–Tsunade–sama… She has this patient who has an eating disorder. T–To make herself sick… she t–takes these… these pills." she shook her head, her mind foggy with so many different emotions. "They're k–kind of like diet pills, only they're not approved. They make you throw up to lose weight." Sakura swallowed hard as she glanced back into his eyes. "I'm already taking two different types of pills, so maybe… maybe whatever she gave me reacted badly to them? I–I don't know!" her hand raised to her head, grabbing a fistful of hair as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't r–remember what Tsunade–sama said! I–I can't–"

"It's okay," Gaara told her quietly as he removed her hand from her hair and silenced her with a kiss. "I will have to ask Matsuri for a statement before I can take any action." when he pulled back to look into her eyes, he stroked her cheek gently. "Are you feeling better? Those drugs aren't going to harm you, are they?"

"I probably threw them back up." Sakura smiled weakly, thinking back to how ill she had been over the weekend. Placing her head on his chest, she closed her eyes again and held him tightly. "I'm glad somebody finally believes me. I'm tired of people thinking…"

It was automatic how his arms tightened their hold. "You're tired of people thinking, what?"

"…That I'm crazy."

And she really, really was.

* * *

><p>Saying that he was not in a good mood today would be an understatement.<p>

For starters, he was stressed. So very, very stressed and the lack of sleep the night before did not help at all. He didn't blame Sakura for that, though. He was just as to blame for it as she was. They should have spoken about what happened in his office the day before the moment he stepped into their home instead of pretending like it never happened, instead of him trying to tell her that he was sorry through his actions. To make matters worse, Gaara just couldn't catch a break at work. Once one pile of paperwork had been sorted through and signed, another pile would be dumped right in front of him.

Part of him missed the simplicity of high school. Sure, it hadn't been easy and simple all the time, but at least, back then, he had been able to spend more time with Sakura. At least, back then, he had time to himself. Now Gaara was lucky to return home before eight in the evening, to spend an evening with Sakura where they simply relaxed together. Either he was always busy, or she was busy with coursework, college, or helping Tsunade. Yes, they still spent most of their free time together, but it was nowhere near the same as the time they had spent together back in school.

Was it weird that, despite living together and still being very much in love with each other, that Gaara missed Sakura?

Not only were those things stressing him out, but he had a feeling one of Sakura's episodes was about to begin. She didn't have many 'big' episodes, in all honesty, due to her medication helping with balancing out her moods, but there was always the odd one that would be much more serious than the rest. Well, that was what Mebuki had told him before he and Sakura moved in together. Fortunately for Sakura, her episodes since then hadn't been all too serious and there had been very few of them. He was so thankful for that, especially since he was so busy and wouldn't be able to help her if she needed it. Or to stop her if he needed to.

Quickly shutting that thought away, Gaara looked down at the statement in his hands. Sakura would tell him if she was having suicidal thoughts or any thoughts of harming herself, wouldn't she? Yes. She would. Sakura trusted him one hundred percent, just like he trusted her one hundred percent. They talked to each other. She knew she could come to him about anything, didn't she?

This morning, Gaara had barely even stepped out of the lift before he demanded that Matsuri told him what she put in the cake. His secretary had looked offended and upset to say the least, but he had stood firm. Sakura had never lied to him before and she had no reason to start now. As well as questioning her about the cake, he had also ordered her to tell him about everything she had said to Sakura.

One of them was lying to him.

Either Sakura had misunderstood Matsuri's words and actions and had taken them completely the wrong way, or Matsuri was lying to him.

And even though Gaara had told her that he didn't _not_ believe her because of her illness, he knew he had to keep in mind that sometimes, it made her believe people were against her when they weren't. Delusional and illogical thinking, he remembered. Those were two of the many symptoms. Of course Gaara viewed this as just another complaint, just another argument, but it was difficult. He loved Sakura and he was extremely protective of her. If Matsuri had done something to harm her (emotionally, physically or mentally), then he would deal with that. However, he also had to accept that he was president of Sabaku Corporation. He couldn't side with Sakura just because he loved her. It could cause many problems between him and his employees.

So what was he supposed to do now? Sakura wouldn't step foot here again, refusing to be anywhere Matsuri, and Matsuri had sworn that she meant no harm to Sakura and if she had upset her, then she was sorry.

That hadn't been the only thing Matsuri had said.

"_My aunt once had the exact same thing as Sakura did, Gaara–sama._" he recalled her words from earlier that day. She had looked so serious, but there had been a flash of something in her eyes before she was smiling brightly. He hadn't been able to tell what that flash was, but it was definitely something negative. "_She had had awful mood swings and certain foods made her sick, too. It turned out that she was pregnant!"_

Pregnant.

Could Sakura be pregnant?

Some would say that, with how much they had sex, that it wouldn't surprise them. In fact Kankuro had once stated that they were "at it like rabbits" or something along those lines. Gaara never paid much attention to his brother unless he seriously needed his opinion or help. However, Kankuro's words were true. Pretty much every night and every morning, hell, every chance they got, they were together intimately. Whether it was making love in bed at night, or a quick romp in the shower before they started their day, they were together.

But Sakura was still taking her birth control, wasn't she? They had never spoken about having children before. It sounded awful of him, he knew that, but Gaara didn't think Sakura would be capable of conceiving. She had opened up to him one time about when she had tried to starve herself. Her body had started to shut down and also, her periods had stopped. Since then, they had apparently never been the same. Sometimes, they were much more painful and were often irregular. Several times he had had to go to a store and buy some emergency supplies for Sakura, though he never complained. Gaara liked that she felt comfortable about such stuff with him, as most girls apparently were ashamed.

In all honesty, Gaara wasn't sure if he wanted children, but what if Sakura _was_ pregnant? Would he be ready to be a father?

To try and push that frightening question from his mind (in front of his secretary, at least), he had then questioned Matsuri about the drugs Sakura had been talking about, to which she replied with, "_Gaara–sama, I look like a fourteen year old girl! Who in their right mind is going to sell me drugs? They'd think I'm one of those undercover cops!_"

And thanks to what Sakura had told him last night, or ridiculously early in the morning, Gaara had noticed Matsuri's expression when he nodded once. She must have taken it as him agreeing to what she said, for Matsuri's expression had faltered and for a split second, it had looked as though she was about to cry.

It annoyed him, to be perfectly honest. Didn't she realise that, in his eyes, nobody would ever compare to Sakura? Of course Gaara knew that him loving somebody else would never stop Matsuri's feelings for him, but still.

So despite their relationship being strictly all about business, Gaara was now making more of an effort to put some distance between himself and Matsuri. If it made Sakura more comfortable, then fine. He would do it. He would not allow anybody to come between them. Surely his fiancée knew that by now? If she didn't, then he was just going to have to prove it to her.

"You wanted to see us?"

Gaara glanced up at his siblings as they entered the office and didn't miss the sympathetic look Temari shot him when she spotted the piles of paperwork on his desk. "Yes." he replied, his voice flat and serious. "From now on, I will be taking the entire weekend off as well as Wednesdays."

Their eyes widened. "Gaara, you can't–"

He cut Kankuro off. "I won't be lounging around doing nothing all day. On Wednesdays, I will work from home. That is why I had an office set up there, too. However, on weekends, I will be doing nothing more than spending time with Sakura. I don't care what any of you have to say." Gaara didn't fail to notice the flash in Temari's eyes at the mention of his fiancée. "We are both stressed and the company doesn't need me to be here six days a week. Baki mentioned once before that it is possible for me to work from home, just as long as I do not have any meetings. I never have meetings on a Wednesday."

"Gaara–" this time it was Temari who attempted to speak, but he cut her off, too.

"No." Gaara stood up and collected his paperwork, placing the most important ones into a briefcase. "Nothing either of you say will change my mind." his eyes snapped up to Temari's, narrowed and deadly and the look had both of his siblings tensing. "And if you and Shikamaru _ever_ upset Sakura the way you did yesterday, Temari, you will both regret it. Is that understood?"

Kankuro's eyes widened as he looked at Temari. Was she crazy? Why would she mess with Sakura? Temari cared for her like she was her own sister! "What the hell did you do to Sakura?"

Instead of replying, Temari kept her eyes on Gaara's. "I wasn't the only one who upset her yesterday, Gaara. Perhaps you should try taking your own advice."

And with that, she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

"Is she okay?" Kankuro asked awkwardly after a couple of minutes of silence. "Sakura, I mean."

Gaara paused in packing away his papers, his hands tightening their hold until he forced himself to relax. He and Sakura had spoken about what happened yesterday and he had told her that he was sorry for the way he had acted. "She is better than she was yesterday." he answered, continuing with his packing and before his brother could say anything more, he added, "Also, instead of finishing at seven every night, I will now be finishing at five. My hours are unnecessary considering I start at eight in the morning."

It was mostly of his own doing, but he would never admit that. Only Sakura had confronted him on the fact that Gaara was a workaholic. Nobody else had dared to.

As he and Kankuro left his office, the former locking the doors behind him and shoving the key into his pocket, neither failed to notice how Matsuri was instantly on her feet, smiling brightly. Apparently, she was no longer sulking.

"Gaara–sama!" she exclaimed, though paused when she noticed that he was leaving for the day. "It's only five!"

"You will no longer have to come in on Wednesdays or Saturdays, Matsuri." Gaara told her over his shoulder as he made his way over to the elevator. "You also now finish at five instead of seven."

Like his siblings' reaction, Matsuri's eyes widened, although she seemed more horrified than shocked. "B–But Gaara–sama! What about–"

"It does not matter." it only vaguely registered in his mind how he was interrupting everyone today. "I will see you on Thursday morning at nine."

Not even giving her the chance to reply, he and Kankuro entered the elevator and the younger of the two ignored the expression on Matsuri's face. She seemed genuinely gutted about not working as many hours as she used to. Kankuro couldn't understand why she felt that way. Sure, everyone knew that she had a thing for Gaara, but wouldn't a young girl like her enjoy having more free time? To him, she didn't come across as the workaholic type. The type wanting to impress her boss, yes, but definitely not a workaholic. He had seen how worn out she looked every now and then when she thought nobody was watching.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Kankuro asked as Gaara pressed the car park floor button. It was underneath the building and you could only access it from the outside if you had a key. Inside the building, anybody could go down there. It was kind of like a basement. "About taking days off and not working as long." Gaara nodded once, his eyes fixed on the numbers as they made their way down. "I think it'll be good. You're stressed. Anybody can see that." Gaara's eyes drifted over to Kankuro's. "I bet Sakura's going to be made up with your new schedule."

There was an impish look in Kankuro's eyes, one that had Gaara barely holding back a growl as he once again turned to face the doors.

Inwardly, however, he was feeling much lighter already. Sure, Gaara knew that the stress that had been building up the past few months wouldn't just fall off his shoulders, but it was a start.

And he was looking forward to telling Sakura the news.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - So, since I'm in an extremely good mood once again, I felt like updating with the next chapter!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	5. We Should Celebrate!

**Chapter 5 – We Should Celebrate!**

By the time Gaara returned home from work, Sakura was sat at the island in their kitchen, her laptop in front of her and coursework covering the black marble island. There was a faint crease between her brows as she wrote a note here and there, as she searched for answers on the internet whilst chewing on her pen before writing down what she had found out. And despite the fact Ao had run over to the door the moment Gaara entered their home, Sakura seemed too immersed by her work to notice him. That didn't surprise Gaara, though. After all, he was home an hour and a half earlier than usual.

For a moment, Gaara watched his fiancée working. She had pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, occasionally pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ears when it got in the way. Something about the way she worked had always captured his attention. Even though it was pretty simple and not all that interesting, it still made him stop and stare. Sakura was serious about her decision to become a psychiatrist. It was something she loved and enjoyed and it was nice seeing her so dead–set about something. Despite her own mental illness, she was determined not to let it get in her way.

In some ways, in his eyes, Sakura was a motivator. In others' eyes, she was an inspiration and somebody they looked up to.

And that made him feel so happy for her.

Ao suddenly barked once, warning Sakura that she was no longer alone and whilst she only vaguely heard his bark, her had snapped up and turned in the direction of the archway connecting the kitchen and the hallway, her eyes widening at the sight of Gaara.

"You're home early!" she told him as she began to clear up her coursework. "I wasn't expecting you to be home for another hour and a half! I was going to make dinner."

During the time they had been living together, Sakura had taken a few cooking classes, saying that it wouldn't be fair to always expect Gaara to be the one to cook because she simply couldn't do it. He couldn't complain, really. Instead of just barely being able to make something edible, Sakura could cook fairly well, though she was better at preparing certain meals than others.

At the smile pulling at the corners of Gaara's lips, Sakura slowed in her cleaning, frowning softly as she stopped altogether. "Did something happen at work?"

Gaara set down his briefcase and fully entered the kitchen, greeting Sakura with a kiss on the lips. She seemed distracted during the short kiss, so he decided to fill her in. "I have decided to change my work schedule." noticing the happiness in her eyes flickering to life, he continued. "I will now be working from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon and I will also be taking Wednesdays and Saturdays off."

A large smile almost split Sakura's face in half as she threw her arms around his neck, crushing him against her. "That's great! I have college on Wednesdays, but I come back here during my lunch break to take Ao for a walk. We can spend more time together this way!" she grinned, pulling away to smile up at him and Gaara honestly felt so much better seeing the genuine happiness in her eyes. "You won't have to stress yourself out anymore! When does your new schedule start?"

"Immediately." he informed her, his hands resting on her hips like they always had done whenever they stood in such a way together. "I was tired of only spending Sundays with you."

Sakura's smile dimmed to a softer one. "Me too." she whispered. "I miss how much time we used to spend together."

So he wasn't the only one, then. It seemed that, like him, Sakura also missed how somewhat simple their relationship used to be back in high school.

"I think we should order out tonight." Sakura smiled as she turned around and continued with cleaning away her things. "That way, we can both have an early night, since neither of us got any sleep." she paused for a moment, a frown pulling at her features as she looked back over at him. "I'm really sorry for how I acted this morning, Gaara. I don't know why–"

"You are just as stressed as I am." Damn. He was still interrupting people, even Sakura! That early night sounded awfully appealing, especially as he could now feel how tired he truly was. "I'll call the place down the street. It will only take twenty minutes to arrive."

"Oh! Order me that chicken thing, you know the spicy one you had before?" Gaara nodded once and went to go and find a leaflet.

As she finally cleared away her things, Sakura couldn't wipe the smile from her face. The news of Gaara being able to spend more time with her was honestly the best thing she had heard all day! What made her happier, however, was that Gaara was finally noticing how stressed he truly was and was actually doing something about it. Of course, Sakura knew for a fact that tomorrow, he would be doing work in his office until she had her lunch break, but that didn't matter. There was always something relaxing about being able to work from home. There was less pressure and was just genuinely more comfortable.

"How about a bath after dinner?" Sakura called to him once she heard Gaara hanging up the phone.

Instead of voicing his reply, the moment Gaara returned into the kitchen, he nodded once in agreement. It sounded quite nice, to be honest. Even though he preferred showers, he did enjoy sharing a bath with Sakura. It was relaxing to simply lay there together, holding each other. Now that he thought about it, they hadn't done that in a while.

Their food arrived in record time and after they had eaten dinner and put their dirty dishes into the dishwasher, he took Ao out for a quick walk whilst Sakura ran them a hot bath, surprising Gaara when he returned as she lit a few scented candles. The moment he picked up on their scents, he couldn't help but smile. They were the same candles Sakura had used during their first time together. He still couldn't distinguish their smells, but just like back then, right now, it was a pleasant smell and wasn't overwhelming at all. Ao huffed and went to polish off the rest of his food before laying down on his bed and going to sleep.

She was already in the bath by the time Gaara entered the bathroom and as he undressed himself, she sat up, shifting forward slightly so that he could settle down behind her. Their bathtub was large enough for at least four people, but they still stuck close to one another, holding each other as Sakura leaned back until her back was against his chest, her hands resting on his arms as they wrapped around her waist. It felt more comfortable that way and much more intimate.

However, when he felt her tense ever so slightly, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

For a moment there was silence as Sakura adjusted his hold on her waist, raising his arms until it seemed more like they were wrapped just under her breasts rather than on her stomach. "Cramps." she sighed.

Which meant her period would start in about three to six days.

So Matsuri had been wrong, then. Sakura was not pregnant. Gaara couldn't deny that he was slightly glad about that, as he was most definitely not ready to be a father, but if she had been pregnant, there was no doubt in his mind that he still would have stuck around. For her, Gaara would have learned how to be a father. However, just because she had stomach cramps, it didn't mean she would be starting her period. They could be from the food she had just eaten.

"Sakura," Gaara forced himself not to show his hesitance as he spoke, "are you still taking your birth control pill?"

She pulled away from him, turning and looking down at Gaara questioningly. "Of course. I've told you before, Gaara, that I don't only take those things to prevent pregnancy."

Of course he remembered that and it had stunned him when he discovered that Sakura's periods used to be much more painful than what they already were. Well, they weren't always painful, but sometimes they were. "I know." he replied with a sigh. "I told Matsuri to tell me what happened and she suggested that the reason why you were so suddenly sick was because you could be pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Sakura repeated, her eyes wide. "Gaara… I don't even think it's possible for me to conceive! I've never really asked Shizune–san or Tsunade–sama about it, but when I starved myself, I know for a fact that I messed my body up and not only then, but also with the overdose." looking down at her thighs, she frowned. "I'm not sure… I'm not sure if I even want children. At least, not right now. In the future, sure, I can see myself starting a family with you, but not right now."

It was quite an appealing thought, having a family with Sakura, but she was right. They weren't ready to start a family just yet. "It's okay." Gaara told her with a small smile, pulling her against him once again. "I simply had to rule out that possibility before I can take action against Matsuri."

Sakura nodded against his chest. "Did she say anything about the drugs?"

"Yes." Gaara sighed. "She asked me who would sell drugs to somebody who looked so young, who looked like a child."

As much as she shouldn't have done, Sakura couldn't help but snicker. "And you agreed, didn't you? I bet _that_ pissed her off."

Gaara rolled his eyes, his hand stroking Sakura's hip softly as he rested his cheek against her head. "Apparently so. Matsuri was sulking for the rest of the day."

Deciding that they had spoken about Matsuri enough for one evening (despite their conversation being only five minutes long, if that), Sakura turned in Gaara's arms and smirked up at him. "We should celebrate." her voice was a sultry whisper and in response to hearing the meaning behind her words, Gaara felt his body reacting to them. Her smirk widened. "What do you think?"

_Yes_. That was what he thought, especially as her hand found his hardening length, making his eyes close and his breath leave him in a sigh as she gave a firm pull.

Suddenly, the hand was leaving him and Gaara had to hold back a protest as he felt the water shifting and heard soft splashing, telling him that Sakura was standing up. When he opened his eyes, he watched her for a moment as she blew out the candles, not bothering with a towel as she glanced over her shoulder at him. The smirk on her face was impish as Gaara stood up and followed her, only vaguely recalling pulling the plug from the bath to allow the water to drain.

They collapsed on the bed together, him on top of her, his length sliding so very easily into her heat. It always made his male pride soar whenever they were together in such a way, when he felt that Sakura was always ready for him. His thrusts were fast and forceful and Gaara loved the way she was panting his name, the way her body responded to his.

He pulled away not long after and he didn't need to tell Sakura what he was doing for her to understand. They knew each other well enough to know by now what the other meant. He wasn't pulling away, he was changing position. And as Gaara moved until he was on his knees, as he turned Sakura onto her stomach, she felt her pulse quicken much more so than what it already had been. Biting her lip, she stretched her arms out in front of her.

Their current position reminded Sakura of a cat. Well, _her _position did. Her knees were bent, legs spread wide, her chest pressed down against the bed with her ass in the air. It was like how a female cat would squat when it would present itself to a male. Sakura was inwardly screaming at herself. _What the hell_? Why was she thinking of cats mating at a time like this?

And then, Gaara was once again inside of her, making those stupid, pointless thoughts disappear.

The way he was slowly grinding against her made Sakura feel a little lightheaded, especially when Gaara tightened his hold on her hip and pressed even harder against her. If it wasn't for the fact that she was almost completely pressed down onto their bed with his other hand pushing down on her back, Sakura was certain that she would have collapsed. Her hips moved backwards, squirming and wiggling against him wantonly, making Gaara groan with pleasure as she did so.

"Gaara," Sakura whimpered, trying to look over her shoulder at him, "_please_."

At her request, he continued his thrusts, though they were much slower this time as Gaara placed his hands on each side of her body, leaning over Sakura and lowering himself so that he was only a couple of inches above her. She closed the rest of the distance, somehow lifting herself off of the bed and pushing her hips and shoulders against his, turning her head to the side where Gaara met her halfway and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, one that was interrupted with a particularly hard thrust that had her crying out.

It didn't take long for him to bring her to orgasm and it also didn't take long for him to join her as Sakura cried out his name in such a way that it had his thrusts faltering, body tensing.

He fell against her, his breathing hot and harsh against her neck, causing her to shiver every time he exhaled. All that went through Sakura's mind at that moment in time was that she loved him. And as he slowly pulled out of her, as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to his chest as he rolled himself over on the bed, that love only seemed to strengthen. She turned in his arms, kissing him tenderly whilst Gaara's hands continued to stroke her body affectionately.

"I love you." Sakura mumbled sleepily.

By the time the words left her lips, she was already asleep and the sight of her had Gaara's heart warming, had him adjusting his hold so that she was closer to him.

He loved her too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Only a short chapter this week, but I'll make it up to you all! :-)**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	6. Nothing To Worry About

**Chapter 6 – Nothing To Worry About**

"Yelling?" Itachi repeated flatly. "You called this meeting because they had an argument?"

Deidara glanced over at Sasori, who appeared to be just as emotionless at Itachi. "You didn't hear it, yeah. They were screaming at each other and smashing things."

The Uchiha sighed with barely hidden annoyance. When Deidara had called him, saying that he had some new information, Itachi had believed he meant about Orochimaru. Not about Sakura and Gaara's relationship. What was going on with the blond? Not even a year ago, he wouldn't have thought twice about arguments and would have simply ignored them unless they were his orders to listen in on them. Perhaps he was bored? But that was no excuse. "Sakura can be extremely short tempered, as I am sure you have already figured out." Itachi explained with a small amount of patience. "As for Gaara–kun, although he has definitely changed since they left school, it is obvious that he still has some anger issues."

"What if we told you about Sakura locking herself in one of the rooms and crying non–stop for about four hours?"

If they hadn't been watching him so closely, they would have never seen the smallest fraction Itachi's eyes just narrowed.

Noticing this, Deidara continued Sasori's words. "We're right across the hall from them, yet we heard every word, yeah. And earlier that day, Sakura came back in tears, looking as though somebody had just told her bad news."

Sakura was crying? She had been fine just the other day. How long had it been since her surprise party, since Gaara proposed? Not even a week. What reason would she have to be upset? And what about Gaara? Itachi disliked getting involved in their relationship, as it was no–one's business but their own, but if Gaara was hurting her (obviously not physically as he knew Gaara would never do such a thing), then the Uchiha knew he had to step in. Better him than Naruto or Sasuke. Especially the latter.

Since their breakup, Sasuke had grown extremely protective of Sakura, saying that he refused to lose her (or almost lose her again), a third time. If he couldn't have her as his girlfriend or wife, then he would rather have her as his friend. Their bond was too strong to simply let it die. If he heard that Gaara was emotionally hurting Sakura, it could, _would_, set him off. His medication was working and so were the monthly therapy sessions, but there was always that tick, or the clenching of his fists, that warned you something was about to happen, that his rage was growing. Not always anger, but any negative feeling could set him off.

"Their relationship is none of our business." Itachi finally replied, giving them both a hard look. "You are there to protect them both from Orochimaru and his men. Remember that. You are not their friends, you are like their bodyguards, in a way. Unless Sakura personally comes to me for advice, I will not intervene. None of us will get involved in their relationship. Is that understood?"

Deidara's upper lip curled with anger at being spoken down to, whilst Sasori remained blank, but both nodded in agreement.

"Fine. But the next time their yelling wakes me up, I'm going over there. I don't have the patience to be dealing with that shit, yeah. It's not exactly nice hearing some girl crying to herself in her room."

Or thinking that she was crazy.

* * *

><p>Sakura <em>loved <em>Gaara's new schedule. She absolutely loved it.

It had only been two weeks since he had started coming home earlier and taking two extra days off from work, but already, Sakura could see that it was helping him. He no longer returned home completely exhausted and on the days that he had off, they spent them together. Last weekend, they had even spent the weekend with her parents.

The weekend had been nice, in her honest opinion. No, it had been great. They all went camping, despite it not really being their kind of thing. It wasn't luxurious, but the view they had was breathtaking. Ao had enjoyed himself, too. In fact, Sakura was willing to bet that he was still exhausted as the entire drive back to the condo, he had been pretty much dead to the world. As well as Ao enjoying the outdoors, Sakura had enjoyed it, too. It was different. Sure, there were no hot showers and she wouldn't be able to live out there, but going every once in a while would be nice. Not to mention the fact that, out there, away from the city, they had been able to see the stars. Laying with not only her parents and Ao, but also Gaara, under the stars, had been amazing.

Things between them were settling down once again. Matsuri wasn't brought up other than that time in the bath and to be honest, Sakura didn't care. She didn't care if the girl got away with everything she had said or done. At the end of the day, Gaara came home to _her_, not Matsuri. He loved _her_, not Matsuri. He had proposed to her, saying, without words, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Matsuri didn't matter. She was nothing. She was nothing other than his employee.

Smiling to herself, Sakura parked her car and took her keys out of the ignition.

Today had been a hectic day to say the least and it was only noon, now. Since she no longer visited Gaara on their lunch breaks (because despite not giving a shit about Matsuri, Sakura knew for a fact that if the girl said anything to her, she would hit her and it just wasn't worth the trouble it would cause), Sakura had arranged to meet a certain Uchiha.

She loved this café. Always had, always will. It hadn't changed in the slightest in the past year and Sakura was glad about that. It was one of her most favourite places in Konoha.

"Itachi!" she smiled brightly as he entered the café and in return, he smiled at her, walking over to her table and sitting down. "How've you been?"

"You only spoke to me an hour ago, Sakura, and you asked the exact same question." he reminded her. "But I am doing fine. What about you?"

"The usual." Sakura waved dismissively. "Tsunade–shishou said that I'm making great progress as well as my tutor at college. Which reminds me, is Sasuke free any time this week during lunch? There's always one meeting or another and I still need to thank him for letting me interview him on his I.E.D. It really helped me out and because of his cooperation, I got a distinction!"

In response to her happiness, Itachi gave her a gentle smile. He knew there had been nothing to worry about when Deidara and Sasori called him to that meeting almost two weeks ago now. Every couple had arguments! It was when they were indifferent to each other that you needed to worry. Any emotion was better than no emotion, after all. "I'm glad to hear that." Itachi told her. "And he should be free this Friday afternoon. Neither of us have any meetings and if we do, I can go through with them without him. Sasuke is working hard lately and could do with a rest."

Her fingers drummed against the table as her smile brightened. When was the last time she had lunch with Sasuke? Not for a while, that was for sure. He had been at the surprise party, but they hadn't really had the chance to speak since Gaara had pulled her up on stage and proposed. Nothing big, really. Oh who the hell was she kidding? Sometimes, her mind would wander whilst staring down at the ring on her finger!

She could see it all now, the life they were going to live. A large, beautiful house like her family home with an even larger garden for Ao to play in, possibly even a pool for those hot summer days. They _had_ to get a hot tub, too! As soon as she passed her course and received her license to start taking on and treating patients, Sakura was determined to save all her money up. Gaara earned a ridiculous amount that made it possible for her to not even bother working, but where was the fun in that? Who wanted to give their wife money to pay for their own gifts? Sakura wanted to spoil Gaara just as much as he spoiled her. And it was going to be with _her_ money.

Watching the expression on Sakura's features, Itachi chuckled. He didn't mind that she had wandered off into her own little world. It was nice simply being with her once again. Now that they were both incredibly busy and not just himself, they rarely had the chance to meet up or spend time together. He missed the girl he considered as his sister.

"So," Sakura suddenly spoke up, her smile simmering until it was more gentle, "found anyone yet?"

Oh, but if there was one thing Itachi would change about Sakura, it was her need to know everything about his more personal life. The truth was, was that no, he had not found somebody he wished to be with. Being who he was made that difficult. Girls and women, sometimes even women twice his age, threw themselves at him without a care. Itachi preferred women who had more class and respect for themselves. That didn't make him a saint, though. There were times when his self–control slipped and he took advantage of his 'fan–club'. Just like anybody in his position would. But they were nothing more than one night stands. Even Sasuke had those.

He felt sorry for his little brother. Since breaking up with Sakura, he had dated only two other girls, but that never lasted longer than a month or so. Itachi knew that Sasuke was trying, he really was, but he just couldn't force something he wasn't feeling. It would take a while for Sasuke to truly get over Sakura and Itachi didn't blame him. They had been together not only intimately, but also friends, for such a long time. Even Gaara understood that.

"No." he replied smoothly, though paused for a moment as they both gave their orders to the waitress. "And how are things with Gaara–kun?"

"Some days are easier than others." she shrugged carelessly, accepting the cold, fizzy drink that had been brought to her whilst Itachi accepted his tea with a polite 'thank you'. "We argue, but we make up afterwards."

Realising that this was his opportunity to find out just what the hell Deidara had been so concerned about, Itachi asked, "Arguments?"

"Mm." Sakura hummed as she swallowed the mouthful of her drink and placed the can onto the table. "There are quite a few, really. Some unimportant, others more serious. The latest one was about his bitch."

Gaara was having an _affair_? Itachi's mind came to a screeching halt. "His…?"

A grimace flitted over her features. "Yeah. His secretary. She's been planting thoughts into Gaara's head that I'm pregnant."

So he wasn't having an affair? Itachi sighed. Sakura really needed to learn how to word her sentences properly, otherwise people were certainly going to get the wrong idea. Say it had been Naruto in his place? Even if he was now best friends with Gaara, he would have lost it. Any of Sakura's friends would have. Itachi couldn't even deny that _he_ had felt anger pulsing through him! Then Sakura's words slammed into him like a punch to the gut. Sakura. Pregnant. What? "You're pregnant?"

"No!" Sakura yelled, but soon lowered her voice when those in the café turned to stare at them in shock. Blushing, she continued, "I turned up at lunch one day to his office and I threw up," it would probably be best _not_ to tell Itachi what her suspicions were, "which then led to Matsuri asking Gaara if I'm pregnant."

That was good to hear. Even though, in this day and age, young people got pregnant all the time, Itachi would rather Sakura be married first. He would rather her have a secure job that pays well, so that she wouldn't have to rely on Gaara for money. Don't get him wrong, he would be there for her if she needed some support, some extra money, but Sakura was at the age now where she had to learn to stop expecting her parents and siblings (even if they weren't blood related) to be there at every beck and call. She needed to be more independent.

"Why would she say such a thing?"

"She wants him." Sakura shrugged again, but this time, Itachi could easily read the anger in her eyes. "Having children is a big thing, isn't it? And Matsuri must have thought that it would scare Gaara away from me, leading to him somehow hooking up with her. Like he'd even go near her!" her teeth gritted together, honestly frightening the waitress who placed their meals down on the table before them. Itachi smiled apologetically at the woman, earning him a swoon that he immediately turned away from. "I've told her so many times now that Gaara is _mine_. Do you know how hard it is not to just jump over her stupid little desk and rag her around by her ratty, ugly brown hair?"

Itachi gave her a mock–serious look. "I take it you aren't the best of friends, then."

Groaning, Sakura dug into her food, but lowered her cutlery after a moment to continue speaking. "Not at all. It's like…" she thought for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Think of the person you dislike the most and _then_ imagine them trying to take the woman you love. I know Gaara's a guy, but so are you and unless you're not telling me something–"

"I am not homosexual, Sakura." Itachi told her with a smirk.

"It's not a bad thing if you are, you know. It wouldn't change how I see you. You'd still be an older brother to me!"

That was sweet to know. "I am not."

She shrugged. "Okay."

With that, they both tucked into their meals, pausing every now and then to make a comment or to start a new conversation.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Another short chapter!**

**I've had 'Rumour Has It' by Adele stuck in my head for the past _two days_! Somebody help me. Please?**

**Oh God. You all need to watch 'KakaSaku - Love' by a user called 'Marek K' on YouTube. I was so not prepared for that animation and I had a huge fan-girling attack.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	7. How Is That Even Possible?

**Chapter 7 – How Is That Even Possible?**

She was wearing his shirt, Gaara noticed as he leaned against the archway that connected the kitchen and dining room. Sakura seemed too busy to notice his presence as she tried to move as quietly as possible through the kitchen, grabbing this and that and placing them on the counter.

Gaara was sure that this had to be when Sakura was at her most beautiful. Forget the makeup she wore, forget the fancy clothes and the heels and perfect hair. This, _this_, was what he loved most about her. Around him, she was completely comfortable in her own skin, was completely comfortable with him seeing her in such a way. Her hair was dishevelled from not only their lovemaking the night before, but also sleep. Her face was clean and clear of all makeup and besides his shirt, she was wearing only a pair of lacy underwear. It had taken him a moment to realise the last thing, but the second she had bent over to get something out of the back of the refrigerator, he had seen them.

It was only her who could ever make him feel such a way and before he could even stop himself, Gaara appeared behind her, whispering her name as he pinned her against the counter, making sure that she knew it was him so he didn't startle her. He heard her soft gasp of surprise, felt her try to look over her shoulder at him before her back arched when he tenderly cupped her breasts, knowing how sensitive they could be in the morning due to her preferring to sleep on her stomach and chest. His lips brushed gently against her neck, whispering sweet, loving words to her in between each kiss.

If you had told Gaara back when he was in high school, before he had gotten to know Sakura, that he would be engaged, have his own place with said woman and was completely and hopelessly in love with her, as well as the fact he acted completely out of character around her, he would have beaten the shit out of you, utterly crushed you and then laughed.

Wow. He had been pretty violent when he was younger, hadn't he?

"You're insatiable." Sakura breathed when she felt something rather hot and hard pressing against her.

"You're one to talk." he retorted, his hand moving to her thighs and parting them, changing position slightly before slipping her underwear down her legs. "You're always aroused."

"Not always." she shook her head, feeling a familiar heat pooling in her stomach. "Only around you."

It was ridiculous, Gaara told himself, but he couldn't deny that his heart warmed at her words. His caresses seemed much more affectionate as his hands smoothed their way over her hips, one arm wrapping around her waist whilst the other worked on shoving his underwear down before moving to her back, gently, silently, telling her to bend over. She did without question, leaning over the counter, her hands bracing her for what she knew was coming.

He couldn't help but moan almost inaudibly as he teased her entrance with the tip of his erection. She was _always_ ready for him. Damn, Gaara couldn't form a single coherent thought other than the fact that he was so very grateful that Sakura had such a high sex drive. If they could have gotten away with it, they would have never left their home, their bedroom. Her hips rocked backwards into his, her delicious gasp as he entered her emptying his mind further.

_God_ he loved this woman. She was amazing in his eyes. Yes, Sakura had her problems, but so did he. They worked on them _together_. That was what being in love was all about. Their relationship had always been that you give just as much as you take.

"Gaara," she groaned when he pinned her hips to the counter, stopping her attempts to make him change his pace, "go faster!"

Shaking his head, Gaara kissed her neck, making his way up until he lightly nibbled on a spot he knew to be sensitive. "I want to take you without things having to be rough." he whispered hotly into her ear. "I want to make love to you."

The feeling of his body curling around hers, his strong arms holding her lovingly, had her eyes slipping closed and all possible arguments fleeing her mind. In response, her arms moved over his, her hands holding his as Gaara affectionately and slowly rocked within her. She could feel his pants for breath against her neck between the hot, open mouthed kisses he placed there, making her hold on him tighten.

One hand pulled away from his, sliding over to his hip. Gaara growled warningly. Instead of listening, however, Sakura had him pausing in between each thrust, had him grinding against her before pulling his hips back. It made her feel dizzy and her vision blurred. That feeling intensified when Gaara's hand slipped down her body, rubbing the area where they connected until he heard the moan that was an octave higher than usual and hearing that moan, he went straight for the button hidden between her folds.

The response was immediate. Pulling out, Gaara turned Sakura around and pushed her up against the refrigerator, lifting her up effortlessly and once her legs were around his waist, he was inside of her again. He preferred watching her expression as she climaxed and seeing her now, the blush on her cheeks, her dazed eyes that were soon squeezing shut, the way she bit her lip…

His hips rolled against hers, making sure to create that delicious friction she was craving.

But then Ao began barking, telling them that somebody was at the door since they had failed to hear knocking – no surprise there.

"Shit." Gaara growled under his breath. There was no point in pretending not to be in – Ao had already given them away. And plus both of their cars were in the parking lot.

"D–Don't stop." she gasped, urging him to move faster.

A heated look flashed through his eyes a second before he called out "one minute" loud enough for the person at the door to hear. And then his hips were snapping up against hers harshly, causing the contents of the refrigerator to shake with each pounding of his hips, causing Sakura to bury her face into his shoulder, biting down on it to silence herself. It didn't work. She was crying out, fluttering around his length, telling him without words that her orgasm had finally reached her.

"_Gaara–kun? Sakura_?"

Oh shit.

Gaara growled and held Sakura tightly against his body, increasing his pace as a thin layer of sweat covered him. Damn it! It was Shisui. What the hell could he possibly want? Shouldn't he be at work?

Work.

Police force.

"_Fuck_."

All movements reluctantly stopped as Gaara's eyes snapped open and widened. He ignored Sakura's protests and threats as he lowered her to the ground. Her eyes were glazed over, her movements slow and sluggish, but she still managed to glare up at him as he found Sakura's underwear and slid them up her thighs. As much as he hated to do it, Gaara knew he could trust Shisui not to take advantage of Sakura's state of dress. As for him, he couldn't even find his fucking underwear! Answering the door naked, _aroused_, could most likely land him in a prison cell for indecent exposure.

"Gaara–"

"Answer the door," he told her quietly with a kiss, "I need to go and get some pants."

With that, he disappeared. She groaned, slowly making her way over to the door. Her body was still thrumming with her orgasm, so much so that she was trembling. After only a quick glance down at the shirt she was wearing (thankfully, due to it being Gaara's, it reached mid–thigh), Sakura threw the door open. It only vaguely registered in her mind that it must have taken her a while because by that time, Gaara returned, his eyes widening at the sight of Sakura.

"Uh, Sakura?" Shisui mumbled in shock. She looked… He couldn't even find the words. No matter how hard he tried to keep up his pokerface, it didn't work.

Sakura had been in the middle of climaxing when Shisui knocked.

_She was still climaxing_.

"I–I'll be back in a moment." she breathed, stumbling away as quickly as possible.

Gaara couldn't help but grimace. It didn't help that he was still aroused and had been close to his own release. To stop it from being obvious, he had thrown on a pair of drawstring pants as well as the thick robe Sakura had bought him for winter. It was a little warm for it, but it hid his erection well. He wanted nothing more than to follow Sakura as she all but threw herself into their bedroom, to help her ride out her orgasm and reach his own. He had thought that Sakura's orgasm had passed when he told her to answer the door. Gaara had no idea that she had still been climaxing!

"What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Shisui closed the door behind him, greeting Ao with a pat on the head. "It will be best that we wait for Sakura, Gaara–kun."

Even though his eyes narrowed, Gaara nodded once and gestured with his head for Shisui to follow him as he made his way to the living room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks. I can't stay too long. I'm here on police duty." Which would explain the uniform.

"How serious?"

It surprised Gaara when Shisui grimaced. "It depends on how Sakura handles the news."

So they sat in silence as they waited for Sakura to return. Luckily for them, it only took her a couple of minutes to calm herself and throw on some clothes. She certainly appeared more presentable when she entered the living room, giving Shisui a sheepish smile as she sat down beside Gaara, opposite the Uchiha.

"Just give me the bad news, Shisui." Sakura sighed, knowing by the look in his eyes that she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"I came to inform you that Uzumaki Karin has managed to escape from Konoha Women's Prison. There had been a glitch in the security system and many escaped during that time, fighting their way out. She happened to be one of those."

Silence.

Karin had escaped? Why would she do something like that? Her sentence hadn't been all that long! Sakura wasn't scared of Karin. She never had been. However, would Karin be pissed with Sakura? The girl had an awful vindictive streak in her and she wouldn't put it past the redhead to actually attack her when she was least expecting it. Would that happen? What if she was already lurking about, waiting for an opening? Oh God. What if Sakura got into her car one morning and Karin was in the backseat, ready to–

Those paranoid thoughts _had to stop_.

"It was only the women's prison, right? Not the one where Kabuto is. He's not out, is he?" Sakura's hands shook. "Shisui, please tell me he's still locked away!"

The thought of Yakushi Kabuto out of prison terrified her. She could feel her heartbeat increasing dramatically, as well as her breathing. A cold sweat had broken out across her skin and any blissful feeling she had previously been experiencing was washed away by the cold sweat.

"No." Shisui told her, his concern for her obvious as he watched Gaara place a hand over hers, giving her a certain look that seemed to calm her down. "Yakushi is still locked away. He and the other four males were questioned this morning once more on Orochimaru's plans, but that is all I can tell you right now."

Gaara's eyes narrowed once again when he turned back to glance at Shisui. "Orochimaru's plans? Do you think Karin escaped because of him?"

He shook his head. "We're not sure what is happening. Right now, they're saying it was a glitch in the system that many of the female prisoners took advantage of. Already, over half of them have either turned themselves in or been caught."

"And what about Karin? Has she been caught?"

"I'm afraid not. Karin seems to be keeping a low profile right now and is most likely in hiding. You have to remember, Sakura, that it is mainly her fault why they got such long sentences in the first place. Those tapes she created were used against them in court, proving to the judge and jury that they were guilty. Orochimaru will not be pleased with her – and that is an understatement." she nodded shakily. "We're doing all we can to catch her, but at the moment, there are other women who are considered much more dangerous on the loose and they've taken top priority."

Sakura paled.

Gaara glared. "What?"

In response to their reactions, Shisui frowned. "You are not the only one in a situation such as this, Sakura. Many women and men are currently being sat down just like you both are, and are being told that the women they fear most, are currently roaming the streets of Konoha when they should be in their cells." he sighed, thankful that Gaara's glare lessened and Sakura grew more understanding, but still a little shaken up. "If there was something more that I could do, believe me, I would do it, Sakura. Our officers are scouring the city as we speak and there is a warning to the public being released tonight."

"Which means Sakura's story will once again be on the news." Gaara stated. "To explain how dangerous some of these women are, the news will no doubt reshow whatever footage they have."

Once again, Shisui sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do to stop them."

"I don't care about that." Sakura muttered, though made a mental note not to watch any new channels that night. "Please just… keep me updated on what happens and if you find her."

"Sakura, I must also warn you that if you spot Uzumaki Karin, you are not to approach her. It could be damaging to your case and given that she has escaped, it may be reopened to give her a longer sentence."

She wasn't even listening anymore. Her mind was simply all over the place. Noticing this, Gaara frowned. "Perhaps you should go and rest for a while, Sakura. I will see Shisui out."

Nodding, Sakura walked in the direction of the bedroom, Ao right behind her as he picked up on her mood.

Turning back to Shisui once the bedroom door was shut, Gaara sighed. "Thank you for informing us, Shisui."

"You don't have to thank me." he said honestly, standing up and following him as Gaara walked towards the front door. "I felt the news would be best coming from me instead of somebody Sakura does not know." Gaara nodded in response. "Gaara–kun, please take care of Sakura. She seems down and not only because of what I just told you both." the front door opened and once he stepped outside, Shisui nodded once and gave the Sabaku a smile. "I will make sure to be the one who updates you if there is any new information."

By the time Gaara entered the bedroom, neither of them were aroused and Sakura was curled up to Ao, who seemed to be comforting his owner. They had always had a strong connection, after all. It was like the dog could sense Sakura's emotions. His head was close to her, tucked under her chin but occasionally, Ao would lift his large head and lick her face, bringing a small smile to Sakura's lips. Gaara knew how deeply she cared for the dog. As strange as it sounded, he knew she thought of Ao like he was her child, not just a pet.

Removing his robe, he placed it on the back of the door's hook and made his way over to the bed, slipping under the covers and wrapping his arms around Sakura. He knew better than to drag her away from Ao, though. The dog would glare at him and growl before those growls soon turned into barks. Mornings were Ao's time, since Gaara was usually at work by now. It was annoying knowing that the dog got possessive of Gaara's fiancée, but he allowed it.

"That was embarrassing." Sakura chuckled after a while, her left hand reaching behind her and holding onto Gaara, whilst her right hand continued to lazily scratch Ao's head. Gaara enjoyed feeling the engagement ring on her finger, brushing against his skin every so often. However, he couldn't wait to change that ring to a wedding ring. That would be the day when they tied themselves to each other in every way humanly possible. "I wish he'd waited at least another hour."

So did Gaara. It was an unpleasant feeling talking to an officer, talking to Shisui, whilst he had an erection. It had been well hidden but that was beside the point.

"I'll make it up to you later." Sakura added.

He liked the sound of that.

* * *

><p>The walk was a mixture of feelings for Sakura.<p>

About an hour after laying in bed with Gaara and Ao, she had decided it'd probably be best to walk the latter and _just in case_, the former joined.

This was supposed to be over by now. Karin and everyone else were all supposed to be locked away. She was supposed to feel safe when she left their home! But she didn't. Even now, with Gaara by her side and Ao running to and from them, catching the ball and bringing it back, Sakura did not feel safe. It felt like she was being watched and it was freaking her the fuck out!

When the hell was all of this going to end?

Probably never.

But that wasn't what she had been promised. They had promised Sakura that she would be safe. That everyone she loved would be safe. Karin… No, she didn't scare Sakura. The things that woman was capable of? Kind of _did_ scare her. Karin was one of Orochimaru's most loyal bitches. All the way through that mind numbing trial she had defended him in sneaky little ways, not giving up all of the information she knew, only small, unhelpful things.

"Gaara?"

He glanced down at her, watching her features for a second. "What is it?"

"Do you think…" she trailed off, her eyes narrowing on the ground that continuously disappeared beneath her feet. "What if _he_ gets out, too?"

Nothing more needed to be said for Gaara to know exactly what Sakura was thinking. Coming to an abrupt stop, he pulled on Sakura's hand, yanking her against him roughly. But despite the roughness of his handling, the embrace he held her in was warm and comforting. It made Sakura release a deep exhale and close her eyes. "Then I'll protect you." he whispered into her ear, tightening his arms around her. "I won't let anything happen to you, Sakura. I promise."

"I just want this to be over already." Sakura told him shakily, her hold on him bordering on painful as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I thought that I could put all of this into the past, but it keeps coming back a–and _it won't stop_!"

Realising that Sakura was going to breakdown and knowing that she wouldn't want it to be in the middle of a park with so many people around, he called for Ao to return, releasing Sakura for a moment as he connected the lead onto the harness. Once that was done Gaara took her hand and guided them both back to the car. His hand was firm and even comforting to her, just like his embrace had been.

The drive felt like forever when it was only minutes. However, when they reached their floor and was about to enter their apartment, they noticed a blond sitting on the ground, his knees bent and his elbows resting on them.

"Naruto?"

Naruto opened his eyes and noticing who it was, he quickly jumped to his feet. "Hey! I've been waiting here for ages, man. We were supposed to meet up, remember?"

Oh right. With everything that had been going on and with what the had found out, Gaara had completely forgotten. He couldn't even remember what plans he and Naruto had made. "Can we do this another day?" Gaara asked, glancing down at Sakura as she unlocked their front door, leaving it open for him as she took Ao inside. They didn't have to worry about him running back out because there were only two homes on their floor. Theirs and the one across from them, Sasori and Deidara's. "Now isn't a good time."

Blond eyebrows mashed together as he watched Sakura walking away without even greeting him. The split second he had seen her features, however, Naruto had realised that something was up. Sakura looked close to tears and stressed. He didn't like that look. "What's wrong with Sakura–chan?"

Gaara sighed, wanting nothing more than to follow her. "Karin broke out of prison, Naruto. Shisui came by this morning to inform us. It will be on the news tonight."

"As well as what happened to Sakura–chan and why Karin needs to be caught." Naruto gritted his teeth with a look of anger so very obvious on his features. "How the hell did she get out?"

"There was a glitch in the security system." Gaara muttered distractedly before giving Naruto his full attention. "I need to go. I don't want Sakura to be alone right now. As soon as I am free, however, I will call you to rearrange our plans."

He shook his head, blond hair flopping about as he did. It was growing, now looking just as long as his father's did. "Don't worry about it! Keep an eye on her for me, though, okay? Tell me if anything happens."

"I will." he nodded once to the blond, quickly entering his home and shutting the door. It was rude of him to dismiss Naruto so abruptly, but Gaara knew that he understood. Right now Sakura needed him and he had to be there for her.

A sigh escaped him when he found Sakura standing in the centre of their living room, glancing around herself in confusion. That confusion broke when he placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her for a moment until she saw his face.

"I was thinking we should have a quiet day today." she told him softly. "A lazy day."

"That sounds good." Gaara nodded in agreement. "Do you want anything to eat? We still have some of that spicy chicken pasta you enjoy."

"That sounds good." she repeated his words, giving him a smile. That smile widened for a couple of seconds when Gaara kissed her forehead affectionately. "I'm going to go for a shower first, though. Did the newest season of Supernatural arrive yet? We need to catch up."

Gaara chuckled but was inwardly worried. "Yes. It came yesterday. Don't you remember? You acted like a child on Christmas morning."

It was the truth, too. After he had left work yesterday, knowing that Sakura would have forgotten to, Gaara checked their mailbox downstairs and found that her latest order had arrived. The second Sakura realised what had been in his hands, she had been jumping around and grinning like she had won some sort of fantastic prize, practically yelling that they _had_ to catch up. Due to their busy schedules, they hadn't been able to watch the latest season, so had been planning on watching it this weekend. They were the kind of couple who could watch an entire season in one or two days and they loved it. Going out and getting drunk just wasn't Gaara's thing and Sakura couldn't get drunk and wasn't a big fan of large crowds anymore. Besides, sitting together on the sofa with snacks and takeout, watching her favourite show, was a pretty good weekend in Sakura's eyes.

"I will have everything set up and ready for when you're done." Gaara told her when Sakura blushed with embarrassment at the fact she forgot. "Go and take a shower, put your pyjamas back on and get comfortable."

She smiled brightly.

* * *

><p>As the lights flickered, Sakura narrowed her eyes in confusion. The entire time they had been living there, the lights had never flickered or blown. The bulbs had never needed changing. Oh God. The lights had better not switch off whilst she was in the shower! In the bathroom, there were absolutely no windows – the lights were the only source of light. If they went, she would be left in the dark. Alone.<p>

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. Flickering lights was not something to get worked up over.

Much to her delight the lights did not flicker again when she opened her eyes. Turning around with her back to the water, Sakura tilted her head back, running her fingers through her hair as she washed out the shampoo, sighing in relaxation. A nice, hot shower always relaxed her.

But then the lights started flickering again.

Only this time, they shut off for ten seconds, plunging her into darkness.

And when they came back on a terrified, bloodcurdling scream tore out of her.

Standing before her, dressed in the exact same way he had been on _that night_, was Yakushi Kabuto. He simply stood there and stared at her.

The hallucinations were starting already, but right now, Sakura was not thinking logically. In the back of her mind she knew what she was seeing wasn't real. However, with all of the stress and discovering what she had not too long ago, her mind wasn't exactly in the right place at that moment in time. All Sakura could see was Kabuto standing opposite her, staring down at her with those dark, vicious eyes. He was staring down at her like she was an experiment.

And all Sakura could do was stand there in shock. Well, that and shake.

A hand grabbed her arm, immediately gaining her attention as Sakura startled, moving backwards desperately and almost slipping in the process. "Get off!" she screamed, not daring to look up and see those ugly, murderous eyes. "_Get off_! You're not real!"

But then that hand moved, releasing her arm until it was roughly cupping her cheek, soon joined by another hand. Together they tilted her head up, forcing her to meet not dark and unforgiving eyes, but icy blue and concerned. It wasn't Kabuto. It was Gaara.

"You're okay." he told her, not releasing her face for a moment as he stared down at her. "He's not here. You're safe."

A sob ripped out of Sakura as Gaara crushed her against him, as she gripped a tight hold of his now wet shirt and cried.

When would this torture be over?


	8. I'm Leaving

**Chapter 8 – I'm Leaving**

It felt like her entire life was slowly going downhill.

Why? Well, for a number of reasons.

It had been over a month now since they had been informed Karin escaped from prison. She had still not been caught and nobody had even seen her. How the hell was that possible? Karin wasn't exactly hard to fucking miss!

Sakura took a deep, calming breath, trying to shut out the unpleasant sound of her mother's cries.

Altogether, it had been less than two months since Gaara proposed. Things hadn't been perfect, but then again, nothing was ever perfect. Things had been pleasant, comfortable. He took care of her like he had in high school and she took care of him. But right at that moment in time, it just… It didn't feel like enough. It had been just under two months since she confronted him, screamed at him, that he didn't believe her. That feeling had multiplied since then. It was crushing her.

Tightening her hold on her phone, Sakura ended the call for the seventh time, her movements stilted as she tried to keep calm.

_But why the fuck wasn't he picking up__?_

She had been here in this awful place for hours now. The first thing Sakura had done when she received the news was call Gaara. But what happened? His bitch answered – Matsuri. She told Sakura that he was in an important meeting. So, despite the pain in her chest and the fact she needed him _right then_, she had accepted it. He was in charge of an entire company, after all. Then, two hours later, believing that his meeting would be over, she called back. Still in a meeting. An hour after _that_. Another meeting. Sakura had even told Matsuri to stop fucking around, that she needed him. She had even told Matsuri _why_ she needed Gaara.

No sympathy. No treaty for _just today_ of _all fucking days_.

Sakura's left eye twitched and her hands shook for a moment with barely restrained anger.

"Sakura?"

She didn't even notice as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Sakura."

Her eyes squeezed shut, her hold on the phone tightening once more. She felt the urge to throw it against the wall, to scream her frustrations and anger and _fuck_ she was feeling _so low_! It scared her. Sakura hadn't felt this way in a long time and it was terrifying her. She needed Gaara. He kept her calm. It felt like she was under water again and she couldn't breathe. It felt like he was swimming away, leaving her to drown when she needed him most.

There was the sound of somebody sighing before a familiar face was kneeling in front of her, giving Sakura an understanding look. "Sakura, go home."

She shook her head weakly. "My mom–"

"I have called Kushina–san." Shizune told her softly. There was a pause where the dark haired woman regarded Sakura, taking in her position. It looked as though the younger woman had fallen back against the wall and slid down it. It wouldn't surprise Shizune if that had happened. The news she had received today would have been a shock to say the least. "Go home to Gaara–kun and get some rest."

Go home to Gaara.

Like that would do any good.

"Sakura, please." a different voice spoke up. It was low and shaking with barely suppressed emotions and when Sakura looked up, she saw her mother standing not too far away. She was trembling with silent sobs, her face flushed red and her sadness was so very obvious. It killed Sakura inside seeing that look. "Go to Gaara–kun."

She stood up without another word and left.

* * *

><p>The drive was silent. There was no music to calm her down. Sakura didn't have the energy to switch on the radio right at that moment in time.<p>

Everything was just… not how they were supposed to be. Everything was wrong, _damn it_! Gaara wasn't supposed to be ignoring her. He wasn't supposed to have a slut for a secretary. He was supposed to love _her_.

_He was supposed to fucking believe her!_

Fuck! Sakura took another deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

A second later, she was turning the car around, ignoring the cars that slammed on their brakes, tyres screeching as they desperately tried to avoid a collision. They didn't matter. Sakura didn't even notice the angry yells following her car, the middle fingers and other rude gestures. They were not important. She had to go and find Gaara. He wasn't in a fucking meeting! His bitch of a secretary was lying to her. And if that wasn't the case, then Gaara was avoiding her. Why? Why would he avoid her? Had she done something wrong?

Pain exploded in the side of her head as it smashed against her window, causing her vision to blur for a split second. The moment her car stopped spinning, Sakura was driving again, once again ignoring the car that had just crashed into her like they were playing bumper cars. The other driver had already gotten out of their car to check on her, so they clearly weren't injured. That meant that they were not important.

_She needed to see Gaara_.

Something warm and wet was dripping down the side of her face and a quick glance in her rear–view mirror told Sakura that she had a head injury. Whatever. Head injuries always bled more. She'd be fine.

But… What if she wasn't?

What if she fell unconscious whilst driving, effectively causing another car crash? Only, this time, the crash killed her?

It'd definitely take away the great amount of stress she was feeling.

No. That would be wrong of her. As much as she wanted for that awful feeling of something gnawing at her, picking at her, to go away, her mother needed her too much right now.

It was in that split second that Sakura made a rather big decision.

Her speed increased as she leaned forward, swerving and overtaking other cars as she rushed towards the place where Gaara worked – Sabaku Corporation's Headquarters. It would definitely be a surprise for him.

* * *

><p>Oh this was not happening.<p>

Please tell her that this was not fucking happening.

"I told you, you can't go in there!" Matsuri snapped, standing in the way of Gaara's office so Sakura had no other choice but to stop all movements unless she literally shoved her out of the way. "Gaara–sama is busy with a meeting right now! You need to leave."

"Which means he _won't_ be in his office, idiot." Sakura spat in return, seriously contemplating on just hitting Matsuri. The thought was so very tempting. "He won't mind if I wait in there for him."

Matsuri's eyes narrowed dangerously as her arms dropped from being folded over her chest and hanging by her sides. Was she trying to challenge Sakura? In Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, that was how you knew somebody was looking for trouble. Having your arms folded or your hands busy meant you didn't want any trouble, whilst having your arms by your sides, your fists shaking and clenched, meant the exact opposite.

"Listen," the brunette glared viciously at Sakura, "he doesn't even love you! Gaara–sama just feels sorry for you and I don't blame him. Look at the state of you! There's blood all over your face. What are you, a tramp? That's not even mentioning your state of outfit. It's appalling. I can see why he looks at me the way he does, now. He thinks I'm prettier than you. I'm better–"

She was being slammed against the wall before she could even finish her sentence, an arm pressing against Matsuri's throat with unyielding firmness.

"I swear to God if you finish that sentence, I'm going to make sure you don't wake up for _a long time_."

And then the office doors were opening, revealing the Sabaku siblings.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Gaara demanded as he pulled his fuming fiancée away from Matsuri, who coughed and wheezed as she tried desperately to regain her breath. His frown only deepened at the sight of Sakura's bloody head wound. "What happened to your head?"

She yanked her arm out of his hold like he had a disgusting disease. "Don't touch me." Sakura spat coldly. "I came to tell you that I will be staying at my mother's for a while."

It felt like his insides had turned to ice. Her mother's? Why was she pushing him away so suddenly? They had been fine this morning before he left for work! The night before, they had been laughing and joking and happy. What the hell had happened? "Why?"

Sakura laughed humourlessly as tears filled her eyes. "What? Your precious little secretary didn't tell you? She didn't tell you that I've been trying to get a hold of you all day because I _needed_ you?"

Gaara frowned as he tried to move closer to her, to comfort her and try to take away the pain he could see so clearly in her eyes, but Sakura pulled away from him again. There was a look of betrayal in her eyes that made him feel like he was being stabbed in the heart. "What happened, Sakura?"

"My dad's dead." she told him rather bluntly. "He had a heart attack this morning. The moment I found out, I tried ringing you, but Matsuri said you were in an important meeting." Sakura glanced at Temari and Kankuro, who both had their eyes fixed onto the ground before looking back at Gaara, who seemed stunned. "Seven hours. _Seven hours_ I waited for you to call me back. _Seven hours_ I spent at that damned hospital, hearing my mother cry a–and sob…" Sakura shook her head, cutting herself off. "When you didn't call back, I came here and for what? That bitch tried to kick me out of the building, saying once again that I need to stop bothering you with my over–dramatic problems!" Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. "I'm going to stay with my mother for a week or two. She needs me."

"You can't go and stay in that house!" Temari argued as she finally looked up at Sakura. "Sakura, that place holds a lot of bad memories for you and it will only make you feel worse."

Simply ignoring the blonde like she had been since that incident outside, Sakura forced back her tears and looked at Gaara. "I'll see you in a week or two, Gaara. And I hope you can see now what I've always been trying to tell you about Matsuri." then as she passed Matsuri, Sakura paused in front of her and before anybody could even react, her hand lashed out, slapping the brunette harshly across the face and making her head snap to the side, her lip splitting due to the force of not only Sakura's hand, but also her engagement ring striking her. "Don't _ever_ try to say in any way that you know me. _You know nothing._"

As she started to walk away, Sakura pulled her phone out of her pocket and called the first person who came to mind, ignoring the fact that four people were watching her in stunned silence.

"Hey… Itachi. Are you busy right now?" turning the corner towards the elevator, Sakura took a deep breath before speaking again. "I was kind of hoping that you might want to meet up. I'm having a… I'm having a pretty shitty day, to be honest."

By now, Sakura was in the elevator and she quickly pressed the ground floor button when she saw a head of blonde hair heading towards her at a fast pace. Temari looked as though she was about to yell at her to keep the elevator waiting, but the doors shut.

"_What happened, Sakura?_"

She closed her eyes as a single tear slipped down her cheek. "G–Gaara and I… we've had an argument an–and… my d–dad… He's…"

"_Sakura?_"

"He had a heart attack, Itachi." Sakura whispered into the phone as a silent sob shook her body. "He passed away this morning."

There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke again. "_Where are you_?"

"I'm just leaving Sabaku Corporation."

"_I'll be right there, don't go anywhere._"

As soon as the doors to the elevator opened, Sakura was walking at a fast pace out of the building, falling against the wall once she was outside. She didn't care that people were watching her with concern or shock or disgust. They could all go and fuck themselves. Her hands fell to her knees as Sakura tried to calm her breathing, tried to force back the sobs threatening to escape her. It was difficult.

Soon enough a figure appeared by her side, holding out a tissue. Sakura scoffed and sent Temari a glare, ignoring the offer.

"You need to go to the hospital to get your head checked."

Get her head checked? _Get her fucking head checked_? There was nothing wrong with her head! Was Temari trying to insinuate that Sakura was out of her mind, that she was crazy? Anger washed through her and the breathing exercises she had been taught to try and calm her anger didn't help in the slightest.

"I didn't mean it like that." Temari said quickly, realising how it had sounded and noticing the way Sakura was tensing as though preparing to pounce. "Just… Look, Sakura. My brother loves you, _a lot_. I don't know what the hell went on back there, but he's hurting now. Gaara doesn't want you to leave."

If that was true, then why was Temari the one stood beside her and not Gaara? Unless he was still up there and comforting that whore. That was exactly what he was doing, wasn't it? He couldn't come and check up on his fiancée himself because he was too busy with his new fuck buddy! God she felt like such an idiot. Why wouldn't he choose Matsuri? Sakura was a victim. She was dirty and it was no secret that she had been with many different men and women – although not willingly.

A sob escaped Sakura before she could stop herself and a second later, her legs were giving out on her. Like back in the hospital she slid down the wall, now holding her head in her hands.

Her dad was dead. Sakura didn't even know what to think about that. It just felt so surreal.

"Sakura–"

Temari was cut off by another voice. "Sakura?"

Hearing Itachi's voice brought on another sob and he responded by helping her to her feet, taking a moment to assess her head wound. It was obvious that he didn't like the sight of it, especially when he murmured that they would be taking a stop at the hospital. Sakura wasn't sure who he was talking to at that point. All she knew was that she was crying, Itachi was holding her and Gaara was fucking his secretary.

And her father was dead.

They slid into the backseat of a car together, which would have surprised Sakura had her mind not been focused on other things. Like Gaara, Itachi didn't like being driven around – he preferred to drive himself. That could only mean that he wanted to be able to comfort her properly instead of focusing on the road.

"I will call Sasuke to collect your car for you, Sakura. Temari–san said that Gaara–kun took your keys."

He what? _He what_?

"He had no right." Sakura spat, her hands clenching tightly into fists.

"You are hardly capable of driving right now, Sakura." he chided quietly, sighing as he pulled her to his chest. So what if he got blood on his shirt? His little sister was in pain. Itachi would be lying if he said that _he_ was not in pain! Kazashi had been like a second father to him and Sasuke. And what of Mebuki? Where was she? Itachi hoped the woman was not alone, that somebody had been called to take care of her. "Where is your mother?"

She trembled for a moment. "She kept crying. These… awful sounds and I couldn't think o–or concentrate. Itachi, I had to get out of there!" she sobbed, her grip tightening. "Shizune–san… Kushina–san… They…"

Kushina had been called to go and help Mebuki. That was good. Shushing Sakura softly, Itachi placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair and trying his best to keep her calm. It didn't surprise him that she wasn't handling the news very well – Kazashi was her father! Of course Sakura was going to be upset. They had been close for as long at Itachi could remember. Growing up, she had been known as a daddy's girl! Yes, Sakura grew out of that a little over the past two or three years, but she had still been close to her father.

"What are you planning on doing?" Itachi asked quietly as they made their way to the hospital. "You said that you had an argument with Gaara–kun?"

Itachi was pissed with Gaara. Sakura was grieving right now and he _argues_ with her? No. He should be in Itachi's place right at that moment in time. He should be the one comforting Sakura. But it wasn't fair of him jump to conclusions. For all he knew, Sakura could have blown things out of proportion. Everybody handled grief differently, after all.

"I think…" she trembled softly, her hold tightening. "I think we're on a break right now."

They had broken up?

The anger within him grew.

"What were you arguing about?"

So Sakura filled him in on everything. _Everything_. Starting right from the beginning and filling in all gaps she had left out previously. She told him about how Gaara didn't believe her – how none of them did. She told him about Matsuri and the nasty stuff she always said, how none of them believed the brunette would say such things. Sakura told him about their arguments, about how things had gotten better for a short while when he began taking more breaks from work, but today, it was like she had simply snapped. Enough was enough, she had told him, despite the fact she was crying.

And honestly? Itachi couldn't blame Sakura for having enough. Yes, he was aware of the fact he only knew one side of the story, but Itachi knew Sakura. She would not be so upset if it had been a misunderstanding or an argument. This had been going on for a while now and she had finally snapped under the pressure. His hold tightened as she cried harder. So now, not only was Sakura grieving, but she was also heartbroken.

"I just want my dad." she cried.

Itachi's heart ached for her.

Her father had always been the one to comfort her. If he heard she was feeling down, he would be straight up in her room, telling awful jokes and trying to make her laugh. If Sakura was ill, he would help out, taking turns with Mebuki to give her soup or medicine depending on how sick she was. That was why her trying to kill herself had hit her father so hard, why he had thrown himself into his work.

Was it her fault he was dead? If she hadn't been crazy, if she had been normal like everyone else, Kazashi would have never thrown himself into his work. He would still be at home, kissing her mother on the cheek when he returned from work, telling her how much he missed her.

She still couldn't believe he was dead.

It just all happened so suddenly! One moment Sakura had been about to get into her car and go to Tsunade's office (as it was the day she worked with the woman) and the next, Mebuki was on the phone, sobbing and crying about how Sakura had to get to the hospital immediately. That alone had been enough to tell her that something was wrong, that something bad had happened. It took a lot to get her mother to cry like that and Sakura did not like it in the least. The last time she heard Mebuki crying in such a way had been when Sakura tried to kill herself for the first time.

Shizune was stunned when they arrived at the hospital and angry with Sakura for being so reckless. However not even halfway through treating her, Shizune had started to blame herself. Apparently she had noticed the look in Sakura's eyes, but thought she would have gone straight home to Gaara.

"Itachi," Sakura's voice was hoarse as they got back into his car. There were butterfly stitches on her forehead, but thankfully she hadn't needed anything more than that. Like she had thought, head wounds bled more than others, "I need you to help me with something."

"What is it?"

"Come with me to the condo." she told him, swallowing hard before she continued. "Ao's still there and I need some clothes and things like that."

His eyes saddened. "Are you sure this is what you want, Sakura?"

"I'm so tired." came her whisper as she leaned back in her seat, her gaze fixed on the space in front of her. "And my mom needs me. She's never left me alone when I needed her, so I'm not going to leave her alone in this. She needs me." she took a deep, shaky breath. "This thing with Gaara… it can wait until later."

It was nice that she was putting her mother first, but Itachi wondered if Sakura was making the right decision. Mebuki would want time alone to grieve for the loss of her husband, to mourn. Also, if they simply left things as they were, the whole mess between Sakura and Gaara could become extremely messy. Or messier than it currently was. But it wasn't his place to say such things. Sakura was an adult now and these were her decisions. He simply hoped she was making the right choice.

"Very well."

* * *

><p>They had been in the condo for half an hour, packing whatever Sakura would need before the front door swung open and slammed shut. It had been just as she was about to put Ao's harness on him that Gaara returned home an hour earlier than usual. He looked stressed and she couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn his eyes were red–rimmed.<p>

"I've been looking for you." Gaara stated, his eyes refusing to look down to the bag by her feet. "When you didn't come here, I went to the hospital, but Shizune said you already left."

Silence.

Sakura had no idea what to say and her heart was in her throat when Gaara approached her, ignoring the fact that Itachi wasn't too far away from them.

"Don't go." he whispered, cupping her face gently as he pressed his forehead to hers, though was careful of her head wound. Gaara didn't care that Itachi was there. He just wanted Sakura to stay with him! "Don't go!"

Her bottom lip trembled as she saw the tears in Gaara's eyes, as she heard him begging her not to go. It was automatic how her hands lifted, how they gently caressed his arms, but when Sakura realised what she was doing, she stopped and instead grabbed hold of his hands, pulling them away from her face. "No." she whimpered, shutting her eyes so that she couldn't see him crying. She had only seen him cry once before and it still made her feel sick with pain and sadness. "Y–You still… you still don't believe me. We'll never stand a chance i–if you don't–"

Gaara cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, having no other idea how to make her stay. "Stay and we can talk about this!"

Instead of kissing him back, Sakura stepped away from him, sobbing as she did so. "We've already tried talking about it." she told him. "My mom needs me and until you're ready to… to hear me out, until y–you believe me…" Sakura shook her head, trembling as she moved over to Ao and put his harness on him. "We need to take a break."

"A break?"

Sakura bit her lip harshly and nodded.

"I don't want that!"

Her eyes snapped to his and despite still crying, she was growing angry. "And you think I do?" she demanded. "Leaving you is the last thing I want!"

"Then _don't go_!" Gaara yelled at her, ignoring how Ao barked and Itachi narrowed his eyes warningly. "If you don't want to leave me, then why are you going?"

Once the harness was securely on Ao, she stood up straight, though paused just as she had been about to leave. Handing the lead of the harness to Itachi, Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath before walking over to Gaara and even when she was right in front of him, she didn't look up. With shaking hands, she removed his mother's engagement ring from her finger and it felt as though it was killing her when she heard Gaara breathing shakily, when she saw his hands trembling.

"I love you," Sakura whispered to him as she grabbed his hand, trying her best to ignore how his trembling increased, "but I can't keep living like this. It's only been two months since you proposed, Gaara, and I feel like I can't…" her eyes closed as she leaned forward, her voice nothing more than a whisper as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I can't keep going on like this. It's killing me. _It's killing me_. I… For the first time in a long time, I've been…"

"What, Sakura?" he asked quietly, not even bothering to hide his tears from Itachi. In fact, Gaara had forgotten the Uchiha was even there. All he could focus on was Sakura. "You've been, what?"

"I've been having suicidal thoughts." she told him quietly so that Itachi couldn't hear. "And every day that I'm stuck here, every day that passes I… They're getting worse. This fight between us… it's too much for me and I can't handle it. I feel like I'm suffocating!"

His arms quickly wrapped around her as he held her tightly. What had he done? "I'm sorry. Just… keep the ring." Gaara whispered in her ear. "If you feel like you need some space, then you can have it. Just please come back to me."

"B–But it's your mother's–"

"I have no one else to give it to, Sakura." he murmured as he pulled away and once again pressed his forehead to hers. "You're the only one that I love – that I have _ever_ loved. Nobody else deserves that ring! It's yours." Sakura felt her heart shattering as she felt his body shake with a silent sob. "Please come back to me."

Sakura nodded quickly before kissing him. "Goodbye, Gaara."

He didn't say goodbye. Goodbye meant she wouldn't be coming back and she had promised him, right? As he watched her leave, Gaara didn't miss how Itachi shot him a sympathetic look, how he seemed to genuinely feel for him. It didn't lessen his pain any. It didn't make that awful, _agonizing _pain in his chest go away. He hadn't felt such agony since Yashamaru told him all those things, called him a monster who had murdered his own mother.

The sound of the front door closing echoed torturously.

She was gone.

Sakura was gone.

Gaara fell to his knees numbly and held his head in his hands.

What was he supposed to do without her?

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I've noticed a pretty big drop in readers and reviewers lately. Not begging for them or anything, especially since these first few chapters are slowly opening up the story, just hoping you're all okay!**

**Drama, drama, drama!**

**There's a reason why Sakura has suddenly snapped, by the way. If you haven't noticed already, you'll find out in like ten-twelve chapters!**

**Poor Gaara. Seems rather OOC right now, but remember, this is his first relationship _and_ first friendship. It was Sakura who taught him how to be more open, how to trust and how to love. He's lost without her.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	9. Hello, My Old Friend

**Chapter 9 – Hello, My Old Friend**

She cooked. She cleaned. She went to college. To work. She took care of her mother.

Lately, Mebuki couldn't do much other than sit there and stare or cry, so all the work fell onto Sakura's shoulders. She didn't mind. After everything her parents had done for her, Sakura silently promised her father that she would look after her mother for him. To keep her company from failing, Itachi was supporting it more fully. It was thanks to him that Mebuki even had the company in the first place, as he had sponsored her and been there one hundred percent, just like she had been there for him when he needed the help.

It was horrible being back in that house, but Sakura forced herself to stay quiet about her feelings. The last thing Mebuki needed right now was to feel guilty or worried about her. But the guilt that Sakura felt, that awful, _disgusting_ feeling that would wash over her every chance it got, was agonizing. Sleep was a luxury to her, but one she did not get. Since she had moved most of her things from her bedroom to the condo she shared with Gaara, Sakura had to sleep in one of the guest rooms. That was fine by her.

Yakushi Kabuto had not defiled those rooms with his vile existence.

Taking care of her mother was extremely difficult. She barely spoke – rarely did anything other than simply lay in her room and cry, or sit in the living room and stare blankly around her.

Many had been coming by with condolences, offering them dishes filled with food and whatnot. Why do they want food? Sakura was perfectly capable of keeping herself and her mother healthy and fed. Didn't they think she could take care of them both? She knew she could. And she was going to. Her mother needed her and damn it, she was going to be there.

Ao stayed by Mebuki's side, following Sakura's orders of looking after the older woman. Sometimes however he stayed with her, picking up on the changes in his owner. Ao did not like them. There were moments when he would give her a disapproving stare, like he knew exactly what she was up to. It was ridiculous! Dogs couldn't give you looks like those. They couldn't judge you!

But what if they could?

She shook those thoughts from her head and got out of her car, locking it after her as she made her way to the door. Just as Sakura was about to open it, however, something white caught her attention. An envelope? Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Was somebody really that retarded that they didn't see she had a perfectly good letterbox? Idiots! With a swipe of her hand, Sakura picked it up, adding it to her pile of books and folders from college. It had only her name on the front, but it wasn't writing she recognised.

Once inside and the door was shut, Sakura made her way straight to the dining room and dumped her belongings on the table, stretching her muscles and arching her back, enjoying the popping, cracking sound. And as soon as he heard her, Ao came running down the stairs, almost knocking her off her feet when he spotted her. It was their usual greeting. He would knock her on her ass, attack her face with slobbery licks and unnecessary enthusiasm. It was nice that Ao was so excited to see her, though. It made a nice change.

Since returning to her childhood home, she and Gaara spoke very little. There was a phone call every two days where he was checking up on her, making sure she was okay, but those were only short. It hurt too much hearing his voice. They talked over text a few times, but again, it was different. Conversation was strained even through text! And Sakura felt like it was _her_ fault – it was! She hadn't meant to hurt him.

The engagement ring had not left her finger since he handed it back to her. Sakura simply couldn't bring herself to remove it.

She loved him. With all her heart. But there had to be, _needed to be_ more than love to make a relationship work. There had to be trust – on both ends – and there had to be faith. They needed to believe in each other. Gaara didn't believe her. She didn't trust him. Where the hell was their relationship going to go? It angered her that, if Matsuri hadn't come along, Sakura knew for a fact that she wouldn't be so jealous all the time. The brunette was obsessed with Gaara and knew exactly how to get under Sakura's skin. She knew exactly what to say to hurt her. It was ridiculous, but Matsuri's words killed her on the inside.

Wasn't she enough for Gaara?

Did he think she was too used and wanted a more innocent woman?

Was he just as disgusted with her as she was with herself?

Those questions kept Sakura up at night. Her skin was much paler than usual and there were dark circles around her eyes, telling everyone about her lack of sleep. It screamed that she couldn't sleep right in their faces! Nobody commented on it.

Grabbing the white envelope once again, Sakura impatiently opened it and all but tore the letter out of the envelope, but gagged in disgust that, when she had opened the letter, white flakes began to fall. What the fuck? Great. And now they were all over the dining table! Not that they ate at the table, but it was still disgusting! Narrowing her eyes, Sakura glared at the white flakes (she refused to think of them as dead skin, for she seriously would throw up) before turning back to her letter.

Her eyes widened.

'_I'm just getting started.'_

What?

With shaking hands, Sakura reread the letter, reread those four words.

And then it was like a bolt of lightning struck her.

"Mom."

She dropped the letter onto the table and darted up the stairs, taking two at a time with Ao right behind her. He was barking at her, wanting to know what was happening or if they were suddenly playing a game. It seemed he picked up on her mood for he became serious, running by her side instead of behind her and the second Sakura barged into her mother's bedroom, he shot straight in there, jumping on the bed and licking Mebuki's face.

The woman groaned with annoyance and sleepily tried to bat him away.

The relief Sakura felt was so great that she could have cried. Her knees actually weakened.

"Sakura? Is something wrong?"

At her mother's tired mumble, Sakura smiled and shook her head, forcing back her tears. "I just came to check on you, see if you wanted anything."

Mebuki shook her head before dropping it back against the pillow. "I'm fine, thank you."

Even though her mother was no longer looking at her, Sakura nodded. "Come on, Ao. Let's take you for a walk!"

Ao was off the bed and running through the house within a second, skidding across the landing just before he was dashing down the stairs, going straight to the door where he waited almost patiently. With one last glance at her mother, Sakura shut the door as quietly as possible and followed after Ao, but before she left the house, she grabbed her phone, unlocking it swiftly and going through her contacts.

Nowadays, around this area, Sakura didn't have to put Ao on his harness. He obeyed her without hesitation and stayed by her side if she called for him and if Ao ran off, he still stuck close by. So as Sakura wandered after him, following Ao as he ran to this area and that, sniffing it out, she called somebody she needed right now. Only, when she tried to call, he didn't answer. So Sakura called the next person.

"_Sakura?_"

"Hey, Sasuke. I–Is Shisui there, by any chance?"

There was a pause. "_Why didn't you just call his phone_?"

"Don't start, Sasuke. I'm having a shitty day and I really need him right now. His phone's off."

"_What's up_?" this voice was different, deeper, making Sakura sigh in relief.

"Shisui, somebody was here. At my mom's house. They left me a letter with this disgusting dead skin all inside the envelope and the letter."

Just like with Sasuke, Shisui was silent for a moment. "_And what do you want me to do about that_?"

He hadn't meant it in a nasty way, she could hear the confusion in his tone. "The letter said '_I'm just getting started_', Shisui! I'm freaking the hell out over here–"

Ao suddenly began barking, his hackles raised.

"Please, just get over here."

"_Try to stay calm, Sakura. I'm over at Itachi and Sasuke's right now, so I'll be a couple of minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you_?"

"Yeah." swallowing hard as vicious and unrelenting memories attacked her, Sakura took an uncertain step forward and closer to Ao, who had ceased barking but was growling as though in warning. "Ao–"

He whirled around and slammed his head into her, beating the breath out of her as well as knocking her back a few feet. Sakura's eyes were wide as he continued to headbutt her, to knock her backwards until she fell to the ground with a shriek. Ao was above her in an instant, but his back was to her and he looked like he was about to pounce on something, making Sakura's blood run cold. She couldn't hear Shisui calling her name into the phone, she couldn't feel the gravel of the drive digging into her skin.

Not even ten feet away from her, was a huge, white snake.

It was hissing at her and Ao, lifting its head into the air and glaring at them.

Now she could understand why Ao had been so determined on pushing her backwards, even if it meant hurting her.

Her body was shaking, her breathing coming out in quick, uneven pants. When Ao's left back paw slowly slid back, Sakura forced herself to move in time with him, shuffling backwards slowly and carefully, trying her best not to capture the snake's attention.

Too late.

It lunged towards Ao's throat, making her cry out in fear as she shot towards him, but just as she was certain it was about to sink its teeth into her beloved dog, a pale hand quickly grabbed it, restricting its movements as another hand grabbed the body. Following those hands, Sakura's wide, fear–filled eyes connected with Sasuke's. He seemed angry. No, he was livid. She could tell by the tremble in his hands.

Arms wrapped around her waist, effortlessly lifting Sakura off the ground and she knew just by the scent who had picked her up, so she clung to him desperately, afraid to let go. If Itachi minded being held so tightly, he didn't say a word and instead guided her back to the house, whilst Shisui gave Ao a pat on the head, telling him that he was a good boy. Picking up Sakura's phone, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Sasuke crossed the roads and threw the snake back into the woods.

Where it belonged.

* * *

><p>"It's him." Sakura muttered, holding the cup of tea tightly between her hands. "It's him. I know it is. He's coming after me again."<p>

Shisui sat down beside Sakura on the sofa. "That's not going to happen, Sakura. You have my word. Yakushi Kabuto is still locked away, along with Zaku, Juugo, Suigetsu and Dosu. Karin is the only one who escaped."

A shaky sigh tore through her and she gave him a hopeless look. "Then who sent the letter, Shisui? It was hand delivered. Somebody was here. Somebody was here whilst my mom was upstairs, sleeping in her bed." a tear slipped down her cheek and a quivering sob left her before she could stop it. "I can't lose her, too."

He nodded, taking the cup out of Sakura's shaking hands and placing it on the table and once her hands were free, he pulled her against him, holding her as she cried. "Nothing is going to happen to her, Sakura. Your mother is tough and I pity the fool who even dares attempt an attack on her."

She laughed quietly. "R–Remember that time… my mom chased you and Naruto around with a rolling pin?" Shisui joined in with her laughter. "I think Itachi's the only one who's never been on her bad side."

"Call it strategic thinking – choosing my battles wisely." Itachi murmured as he entered the room and sat on her other side, giving her a small smirk when she looked up at him with her own. "I knew better than to anger your mother whilst growing up. It was the same with my own."

"Uchiha Itachi," she chuckled, "actually fears something."

There were actually several things Itachi feared. First had to be the overwhelming feeling that would wash over him at just the thought of losing Sasuke, Sakura or Shisui. Hell, even Naruto! That applied to Sakura's parents, too. They had helped him through so much and it was because of them that Itachi had been able to become the man he was today.

Placing a hand on Sakura's back, he smiled down at her. No words were needed and at his silent order, she shuffled forward, allowing Shisui to get up and examine the letter Sakura had received as well as the dead skin. Her stomach lurched. Whoever the fuck had sent that was sick in the head! Dead skin? Creeps. Forcing down her unease and closing her eyes, she rested her head on Itachi's lap, sighing when he readjusted his hold so that they would both be more comfortable.

* * *

><p>"You know who sent this letter."<p>

Looking up at his cousin, Sasuke nodded once. "Yes. The snake gave away the identity of the person who sent it."

Shisui sighed. Just by that faint tremble in Sasuke's hands, he could tell where this was going. It made him so angry. Not with Sasuke, but with the man who was doing this. How long had he been in hiding for, now? It would have to be well over a year. No matter how hard they tried, Shisui and his team just could not find him.

"This is a warning." it had meant to be a question, but with the expression on Sasuke's face, Shisui's sentence had been changed to a statement.

"No." he replied and his voice sounded much harsher, deeper, with his anger. "Like the letter says, he's only just getting started. You think this is the worst he can do? Send a snake to her house as well as a letter filled with dead skin?" the dead skin actually belonged to a snake, but had been broken up into tiny pieces so that it appeared human. Sasuke knew that because of the pattern on the skin, though did not touch it because it was evidence. After the attack last year, he had been doing research and only pushed himself harder when he received yet another invitation from that vile bastard. "Orochimaru isn't even trying to scare her right now."

"You're wrong, Sasuke." Shisui murmured, glancing around the dining room and lowering his voice considerably just in case somebody heard them. "This stays between us, do you understand?" Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowing. "They are going to release Kazashi–san's body this week, saying it was a heart attack that killed him. But what if it wasn't? There are many things to cause heart attack symptoms."

His eyes narrowed even further. "Wouldn't an autopsy pick up on that?"

The older Uchiha sighed and shook his head. "You'd be surprised how much they miss when they believe it wasn't a suspicious death." shoving his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his phone. "Get me a container so I can take this down to the station. I doubt Mebuki–san will want police officers barging into her home right now and I don't want to alarm Sakura." at Sasuke's unsure look, Shisui sighed. "Just take a look at her, Sasuke. Sakura is barely keeping it together and looks as though she hasn't slept in days – she's only been back here for three days! She won't be able to handle this. If Sakura finds out that it was possible for _Orochimaru_, of all people, to be here, can you imagine how much that would frighten her?"

Eventually, after taking deep breaths to calm his anger, Sasuke nodded. "Right. And what happens now? We just leave Sakura and Mebuki here, alone?"

"Not at all. I will be checking in on them every day, as will Itachi. You can, too, if you want. Just don't let her suspect anything."

Sasuke shook his head with disbelief. "Sakura isn't an idiot. She'll have this figured out by the end of the week."

"As harsh as this sounds, Sakura's head is not in the right place at the moment. The sadness of losing her father, the stress of taking care of her mother, the pain of breaking up with Gaara–kun, will be weighing heavily on her mind."

"They haven't broken up." Sasuke muttered, glaring down at the ground.

"No, but they are taking a break from their relationship for an unknown period of time."

"…And it still hurts her." he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll get you that container."

* * *

><p>After making sure that nobody else was in the room (Shisui and Sasuke had gone to the station and Itachi was preparing dinner), Sakura quickly went behind the bar and grabbed the bottle of vodka that had been calling to her for the past hour. God she <em>needed<em> a drink! Unscrewing the lid on her empty water bottle, she aligned the two bottles and poured the contents from the glass bottle, into the plastic one. Since moving out, her parents had started stocking the home–bar once again and whilst it was wrong of her to be taking advantage of her mother's grief, the woman was in no state to notice something as small as this.

Besides, she didn't need her medication anymore, so she was okay to have a drink! Just in case somebody threw a bitch fit, however, Sakura decided it was best to pretend as though it was simply water in her bottle.

Leaving a small amount in the bottle (and making a mental note to replace it), Sakura put it back in its original place and made sure the lid on her own bottle was secure.

A bright smile graced her lips as she moved away from the bar and headed in the direction of the stairs. Finally! After everything that had happened, Sakura believed that she deserved this drink. Of course she wouldn't drink it all, because then they would catch on that she had started drinking once again (and also, downing pure vodka was rather stupid). No, she would just take a couple of sips every now and then to keep her going. And now, she didn't have to worry about getting sick again like the last time! No more medication.

It took everything in Sakura to hold back her sudden need to giggle.

"Sakura?" a voice called from the kitchen.

She froze. "…Yeah?"

"Will your mother be joining us for dinner, or should I put some to the side for her?"

Oh thank God for that. Itachi had always had some sort of creepy sixth sense and for a moment there, Sakura had been certain he had caught on already. "Uh… I'll ask her now, I need to go upstairs and get changed anyway."

"Dinner will be ready in thirty–five minutes." he told her after a moment.

"Okay!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN – I decided to give you all another chapter for Halloween! :-D**

**Does this remind anyone of anything? Something that happened in _They Never Knew_? Not with Orochimaru and the snake and the letter, but the last little bit of the chapter.**

**Have any of you noticed how everyone's pretty much forgotten about Kankuro in the anime and manga? Nobody has seen him or spoken about him since the beginning of the war! Hahahaha. Poor Kankuro!**

**Ew, I bought some cans of pepsi earlier today and I didn't taste much of the first one because I was downing it whilst eating, but then the taste caught up to me and I was like "um...". Went onto another can and EW EW EW! It was completely flat and had this horrible tangy taste to it that made me feel really sick.**

**What do you all think? Do you think Orochimaru sent the letter? Does he have some sort of plan?**

**I feel like the narrator guy off of DBZ. Um...**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	10. When Did I Lose Your Trust?

**Chapter 10 – When Did I Lose Your Trust?**

Stress.

Stress.

_Stress._

What the hell was he supposed to do with all this paperwork? It just kept piling up until he could barely even see in front of him.

This was just beyond ridiculous.

Glancing down at his phone for the seventh time in the past ten minutes, Gaara growled.

It was so unlike him to show how aggravated he truly was, to show any emotions at all, but for the past week or so, he had been having difficulty controlling his emotions. Also, his phone was pretty much glued to his hand now whereas previously, it was simply shoved into his pocket and more or less ignored.

After discovering Sakura had left him, his siblings had been sticking close by him, trying to pick him up out of his bad mood, but very little helped. In fact nothing helped and Gaara was instead growing angry and frustrated with his siblings. Hell, even though he knew he shouldn't, part of him blamed Temari for this mess. Why did she have to go and defend Matsuri _in front of_ Sakura? That went for Shikamaru, too. Clearly Sakura was not thinking clearly (which only made his worry increase) and noticing this, they should have spoken calmly, they should have discussed things patiently with her to make her see sense. Getting angry and saying she was making everything up was not going to help!

Then, his mind went to Sakura. His worry for her was almost suffocating, to the point where Gaara could barely even sleep at night! Was she eating? Was she sleeping? Part of him was demanding that he go and find out for himself, that he check up on her and make sure she was taking care of herself. But he knew he couldn't. Sakura had told him she needed space and he didn't want to make those suicidal thoughts even worse by crowding her.

Which was why he had contacted none other than Uchiha Itachi.

It had been an uncomfortable conversation to say the least and Gaara was aware of the fact that Itachi was angry with him. However, after getting his side of the story told, the Uchiha had sighed, seeming stressed. That meant that Gaara was not the only one to pick up on the fact Sakura could quite possibly be entering one of her bigger, more serious, episodes. And right now neither she nor Mebuki needed that kind of stress, so Itachi had promised the redhead that he would look out for Sakura and he assured the younger man that she was in fact eating. Maybe not sleeping well, but she was definitely eating. He made sure of that.

God, Gaara was so grateful to have Itachi there! Did that sound strange? The Uchiha was like Sakura's older brother and had always protected her. If he even sensed that she might need him, Itachi was there within a heartbeat. Apparently it had always been that way. And even though he was a little uncomfortable with the thought and idea, Sasuke had also messaged him one day, giving him an update on how Sakura was doing.

There were no snarky words, no "_Haha, fuck you. She's mine again_". Sasuke had simply sent him a text message saying he managed to get Sakura to leave the house for a short while to take Ao to the park and after returning, he had made sure she had something to eat as well as Mebuki.

It made Gaara angry, although only a small part of him. It shouldn't be Sasuke there, it should be him! Sasuke shouldn't be the one looking after her. He shouldn't be the one going with her to take Ao for walks in the park. He shouldn't be the one cooking for her and Mebuki. He shouldn't be the one _taking care of her_! Taking a deep breath, Gaara tried to calm himself. Even though he wanted nothing more than to be the one looking after her, he was grateful Sasuke was there. In a minute way, he understood Sakura. And Gaara trusted _his_ fiancée.

Matsuri was… overwhelming. More so than usual. It was why he had cut her hours once more. Instead of forty five minutes, she had an hour and a half for lunch as well as two thirty minute breaks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Matsuri also finished half an hour before himself and started an hour after he did. Really, Gaara didn't even see the point in keeping her around. But just as he prepared himself to fire her, he remembered how difficult it had been to find a secretary in the first place until Temari had shrugged and told him Matsuri was adequate at her job.

And she was! Don't get him wrong, because Matsuri was a good secretary. She wrote down all messages, she made sure he had at least two breaks during the day, she also brought him up some food (although he never ate it, considering how sick Sakura had been after eating the cake she had made)! But… Gaara simply wished Sakura would trust him more. Had he done something to suddenly lose her trust?

Thinking back, he could not think of a single time or place where he could have lost her trust.

In a rare show of indecision, Gaara narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping a rhythm against the keyboard of his laptop before he was typing into the search engine.

_Symptoms of bipolar disorder_.

It was so wrong that he could not remember the exact type she was, as there seemed to be several. Sighing, he clicked on the most reliable looking website, his eyes scanning the contents intently.

'_During a period of depression, your symptoms may include: feeling sad and hopeless. Lacking energy. Difficulty concentrating and remembering things. Loss of interest in everyday activities. Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness. Feelings of guilt and despair. Feeling pessimistic about everything. Self–doubt. Being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking. Lack of appetite. Difficulty sleeping. Waking up early. Suicidal thoughts_.'

He paused.

Sakura was showing many of those symptoms. He could remember entering the condo several times and seeing her looking lost and confused, almost as though she was brooding or simply lost in her thoughts. Lack of appetite, also. Up until she left, Gaara could recall her appetite dwindling until next to nothing, but Sakura had told him it was because of coursework, because she was too focused on it and trying to have everything completed and on time for their deadlines. Difficulty sleeping, was another – or was that waking up early?

Delusional or having hallucinations.

On the night Shisui had come to inform them that Uzumaki Karin had escaped, Sakura had panicked. He had heard her screaming in the shower, screams that had haunted him for many nights afterwards. She had sounded so terrified that it made his insides feel like ice. After calming down, Sakura had opened up to him, had whispered to him that Kabuto had been there. It took him so long to make her believe different.

That was only the depressive side of bipolar disorder, however. Gaara could recall Sakura telling him one time that she leaned more on the mania side.

'_The manic phase of bipolar disorder may include: feeling very happy, elated or overjoyed. Talking very quickly. Feeling full of energy. Feeling self–important. Feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans. Being easily distracted. Being easily irritated or agitated. Being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking. Not feeling like sleeping. Not eating. Doing things that often have disastrous consequences, such as spending large sums of money on expensive and sometimes unaffordable items. Making decisions or saying things that are out of character and that others see as being risky or harmful. Increased sex drive._'

Well now he felt more than a little unsure, although he was certain that Sakura was showing signs of mania more than depressive.

For starters, he had noticed that she was (once again) spending more money than she should be. Gaara had more money than he needed and could afford to give her anything she wanted or needed, so he hadn't thought much when he glanced at the bill of his credit card. Now that he was thinking about it, Gaara realised Ao hadn't really needed that designer harness. In fact he had chewed right through it to show Sakura how much he despised it. The same went for the other three she had purchased, saying he would like having different colours to choose from.

When had he started paying less attention to her? Yes, Gaara spoiled her by giving her everything she wanted but that wasn't what love was supposed to be about.

Once again reading through the passage, his eyes narrowed.

Increased sex drive. Now, Sakura had always had a high sex drive (to the point where he once or twice had found it hard to keep up with her), so it wasn't surprising that _that_ one hadn't stood out to him. What should have stood out to him, however, was the fact that she had purposely stopped the elevator in their building using the emergency stop button and practically cornered him, begging him to give her release, an orgasm. Never one to deny her anything, Gaara had done just that. He had done as she asked, pinned her against the wall, ignoring every little part of him screaming that it wasn't a good idea, and fucked her until she came.

Oh God. When had he started paying less attention to her?

Their relationship had always been so clear for them. You give as much as you take. Never any more and never any less. When had that changed?

Was that the reason behind his losing her trust in him?

Closing the page as he heard a knock on the door, Gaara sighed and sat back in his seat, willing the horrified look on his features to go away. It took a couple of minutes but eventually his blank mask came back, his perfect pokerface. He didn't need to look at the page any longer, for the rest was about triggers and causes. Gaara already knew the cause – or the trigger. It had been set off, triggered, by the breakdown of her relationship with Uzumaki Naruto (her best friend and former, one–time lover), but soon escalated dramatically when Yakushi Kabuto raped her.

"Enter." It was Sasuke, making Gaara sit up straighter and a look of shock very faintly entering his features. "Uchiha, what are you doing here?"

Turning around, Sasuke paused in shutting the door and the redhead could literally feel the glare he was giving to somebody outside. No doubt it was Matsuri. "Stay out." he ordered, his voice deep and harsh. "This doesn't concern _you_."

And before she could argue back, before Gaara could even ask who the hell Sasuke thought he was to order around _his_ employees, the Uchiha was firmly shutting the door and facing him once again. He stayed standing.

"I'll keep this brief." he muttered, though walked forward and closer to the desk. "Sakura doesn't know yet, but they're no longer releasing her father's body. It's undergoing a second autopsy."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Orochimaru contacted Sakura."

"What?"

Noticing the rage on Gaara's face, the fact that he was now standing, Sasuke also narrowed his eyes. "You can't do anything to stop him and Sakura doesn't know that it was Orochimaru who contacted her – if you bring it up, you'll only scare her. Shisui told me to keep quiet about it, but…" he grimaced, seeming uncomfortable. "I thought it best that you know."

He forced himself to calm down. "And why is that?"

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Gaara's voice, the harshness, that told Sasuke just what he was thinking. He disliked not being able to take care of her. "It's a disgusting feeling, isn't it?" Sasuke muttered after a few minutes, his eyes fixating on the desk. "Not being able to be the one to take care of her, knowing that no matter how hard you try, in the end, you only end up pushing her further and further away."

Gaara's jaw clenched. "Get to the point, Uchiha."

"I'm not going to try anything." he scowled, finally looking back up. "I believe I don't have to explain myself to you – in fact, I know I don't. However, after the attack, I… I don't know. Stopped pitying myself, I guess. For once I put somebody before myself. Sakura loves you. You may not be together right now, but she still loves you. She hasn't taken the ring off her finger once."

It took everything in Gaara not to snarl. "I thought you would be thrilled."

"Why would I be thrilled that Sakura's hurting?" Sasuke spat, his anger spiking and clashing with Gaara's. This was partly the reason why he chose to stay away from the redhead – they were too alike. "You think I want to be here, telling you all these things? No. I'm doing this so that you don't fuck up and end up hurting her even worse than I did! Sakura is stressed enough as it is. And if this break up – or whatever the hell it is – is only temporary, then I'd hate to see what a permanent break up would do to her."

Destroy her. It would destroy her. Just like it would destroy him. Sakura was the reason behind his change. Gaara had wanted so desperately to become a better person for her and she had helped him with that. Whenever he needed support, even if she herself was hurting, Sakura was there for him to lean on and vice versa. You give as much as you take. That was always and would always be how their relationship worked.

"Kazashi's body." Gaara murmured, trying to ignore the ache in his chest at not only the fear of losing Sakura, but also the loss of her father. Was it strange for him to say that in the past year or so, Kazashi had been more of a father to Gaara than his own had been in his entire life? "Is his death being connected to Orochimaru contacting Sakura?"

"Yes." Sasuke had also calmed down. "Orochimaru sent her a hand–delivered letter, telling her that he's just getting started. Not only that but when Shisui, Itachi and I arrived, Ao was about to be attacked by a venomous snake – and I know it is one of Orochimaru's. He has a thing for experimenting on white snakes." No surprise there. The guy was a creep. At the narrowing of Gaara's eyes, the suspicion in them, Sasuke's also narrowed. "After the attack, I did my research on Orochimaru. Don't even try to say that you thought it was over when Kabuto and the others were arrested. I could see that look in your eyes whenever you looked at Sakura. You feared for her. Just like I do. Like Itachi does."

It surprised Sasuke greatly when Gaara fell back into his seat, all anger, all confidence and his emotionless mask slipping away as the redhead put his elbows on his desk and his head in his hands. No, there was still anger there, and it was barely restrained. Gaara was trying to calm himself, trying to keep his anger from being unleashed. His hands trembled and feeling the anger rising around them, Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. His disorder was always set off by negative emotions and recently, he had been surrounded by, _drowning in_, negative emotions.

"How is she?" Sasuke was thrown off by Gaara's question and when there was no answer ten seconds later, the redhead growled, lifting his head to open his eyes and glare at him. "Sakura. When you last saw her, how did she look?"

An uncomfortable feeling filled the air and the Uchiha's body was tensed. "Bad."

"In what way?"

"Like she isn't sleeping. The way she holds herself…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his sentence drifted off, trying to think of the right word to use. There wasn't one. "The last time I saw her this down, Sakura turned to alcohol."

Gaara sat up straighter, giving Sasuke a serious look. "Don't let–"

He cut the redhead off with a scoff. "Don't let her drink. Yeah, I know. But just remember that whilst you know her now, I knew her back then. I know these signs. I know _her_. Sakura's slowly slipping back into her old lifestyle. The one where she was getting drunk every chance she got, the one where she pushed her bad memories or thoughts out in any way she could." the clenching of Gaara's jaw made it obvious that he knew exactly how those memories or thoughts had been shoved away. And it had taken him so long to show Sakura that she didn't have to use sex as a way to forget. "Not even Itachi knows that Sakura, which means he doesn't know what signs he's supposed to be looking out for."

There was a pause a second before a sigh. "What do you want me to say, Uchiha? Do you want me to beg for you to take care of her, to make sure she doesn't go back to her old ways?"

In response, he scoffed. "No. I simply wanted to see that look on your face – that one." Sasuke gave a sly smirk. "Now you know how I felt back in high school, when I could do nothing more than watch as she fell in love with you."

Vengeful bastard. Sakura had once told him about the vengeful streak in Sasuke, about how he had beaten the crap out of someone and said it was revenge. For what, neither of them knew. She told him that back then Sasuke had been difficult to figure out – still was, in all honesty. All Uchiha seemed to possess the same unpredictable streak. Even Shisui. "We have more important things to worry about than the fact you're still not over Sakura." at the sudden, vicious glare being sent his way, Gaara gave him the same smirk he had received only seconds ago. "It's not an enjoyable feeling being taunted, is it?"

"Shut up." Sasuke snarled, fists clenching tightly by his sides. "I didn't have to come here and tell you these things – remember that."

Gaara regarded him silently, watching the emotions on his face. Anger almost dominated completely, but there was that flash in his eyes. A flash of pain.

Of course Gaara knew that Sasuke wasn't over Sakura. How could he not? It was the way Sasuke held himself around her, how he looked at her. It was sickening but at the same time, he couldn't blame the Uchiha. She was certainly something. Definitely one hell of a girl. It had taken Uzumaki Naruto _years_ to finally get over her and now he was in his first relationship since that night with Sakura. That was one night. That was the only time she had ever shown there was a chance of returning his feelings. Sakura and Sasuke had been together, in a way, for over a year and that wasn't including the times when she returned to school. They had loved each other.

His jaw clenched.

That one time… Gaara took a deep breath. He had forgiven Sakura for sleeping with Sasuke that final time, but he certainly hadn't forgotten it. It was easy to ignore, that little nagging reminder in the back of his mind. Whenever he saw them together, whenever he saw Sasuke looking down at her with those eyes, however, that reminder would come springing back. Gaara didn't like being possessive of Sakura. He didn't like it when he got jealous, because it often made him act without thinking. No, he would never, _never_ hurt her. But he could hurt Sasuke.

Oh the Uchiha really had no idea how close Gaara had come to tracking him down and beating the shit out of him. Way too many times. It had happened over a year ago, but that pain was still there. The reminder of how uncertain he had felt back then, how close he could have come to losing her, was still there.

It couldn't happen again. Gaara refused to lose Sakura.

"Don't touch her."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What?"

"I said," Gaara stood up slowly, his icy blue eyes glaring at the dark haired man viciously, "_don't touch her_."

Instead of reacting in a burst of anger, no matter how badly he wanted to, Sasuke stared him down with his own cold glare. "I won't, but not because you've told me not to. It's because of Sakura's loyalty. I'm not going to make her break that because it will destroy her if she betrays you." Sasuke took a half step back, so that he could look at the door to the office. "Oh, and one word of advice," his eyes snapped back to Gaara's and it honestly surprised the redhead to see so much hatred and anger in those dark eyes, "if you hurt her, I _will_ be coming after you."

Gaara straightened, his body tensed. There was no mistaking the words that were hidden in that warning.

_Don't hurt her by fucking around with your secretary_.

A sly smirk pulled at his lips. He couldn't let Uchiha think he had the upper hand now, could he? "You know yourself that no one will ever compare to Sakura."

The sound of teeth gritting and fists clenching even tighter reached his ears and without saying a single word, Sasuke stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut after him and terrifying the crap out of Matsuri, who only grew more scared at the petrifying glare sent her way.

"Stay the fuck out of their relationship."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

><p>It was so dull.<p>

Realising that he was once again pining, he turned in his cot, sighing loudly.

All he really had to get him through the day were his own thoughts and memories. The others called him a recluse, for he'd rather stay in his… _room_ than go out there and face them all. Animals. That was what they were. Why the hell would he go out there and socialise with them all? He was so much better than them. They were nothing more than criminals, whereas with him, it had been a huge misunderstanding.

"Shit."

At the feeling of his leg cramping, he tensed, taking deep breaths and keeping still, trying to breathe through the pain.

It had been over a year and he was still suffering from that attack. What in the world had possessed his dear Sakura to keep such a violent, unpredictable beast by her side? He had tried so hard to make her see that that beast was not to be trusted, that it was dangerous. Did she listen? No. Sakura had actually yelled and screamed angrily when she was told about it. Well, that was what he had been told by his lawyer, anyway. And in the end that dog – if it could even be called that – was allowed to stay. It should have been put down! What if it suddenly turned on his Sakura? She wouldn't be able to fight such a beast off.

The pain in his leg soon subsided, leaving him to sigh in relief and relax, turning onto his back once more and staring up at the same old, boring ceiling. Luckily for him, he did not have a room–mate. Well it was lucky for the other person really. Spending so much time in your _room_ with nothing other than your own thoughts to entertain you did strange things to a person's mind.

He kept picturing that night. Both of them, actually. Perhaps he should have approached Sakura a different way? He closed his eyes and sighed. It probably wouldn't have mattered how he approached her. The first time, Sakura had had Uchiha Sasuke as her lover – even though, in his eyes, she deserved so much better than that child – and the second time, she had Sabaku Gaara. Gaara was… more suitable for her, he'd give him that.

Now that he had been left alone to think things over, he realised many different things. The first being that the redhead seemed to truly care for Sakura. Enough so that he had jumped in front of her and protected her from being shot. Kabuto once again sighed and pressed a hand to his temple. Why had he done that again? Why had he tried to kill his Sakura? He couldn't even remember.

Anyway. That wasn't what he was thinking about – it could be left for another day, one where he was prepared better to think it through properly. For the time being, Kabuto supposed Sakura could remain with Gaara. At least he knew she would be protected by him. However, the second he was proven to be innocent, that it had been one huge misunderstanding, he would ask politely for her to return to him. Then they could start again.

He would admit that he had been a little… unnecessarily violent towards her, but how else was he supposed to make her listen? Sakura just would not listen to him and sometimes, _sometimes_, she just had to be roughed up a little. You had to make her submit. She had to understand that he was in control, not her.

Oh but things should not have gone this far. He had never planned for her to turn against him in such a way. Kabuto had thought that, some time before the trial, Sakura would come to her senses, would realise that she loved him. But no. His dear Sakura was just too stubborn to see what was right in front of her. After all, if she didn't love him, she would not have come to see him, would she?

That day was burned into his mind. Sakura had come to see him. It had been her choice. That was what solidified the fact that she loved him, in Kabuto's mind. Did she visit Zaku? No. And Kabuto made a point to flaunt that in front of the younger male's face whenever he saw him.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Zaku in a while.

With little to no effort, Kabuto pulled himself out of his cot and stretched. Since there was nothing better to do, he had taken to training himself in his cell every morning when he first woke up and every night before he went to bed. That way the muscles in his leg didn't get too stiff and he wouldn't be at too much of a disadvantage should one of the inmates attack him. Again, they were nothing but animals. It was fine for Suigetsu and Juugo, because they stuck together and nobody dared to approach Juugo, meaning Suigetsu was untouchable, too. Zaku and Dosu also stuck together, although that wasn't too much of a problem for the other men. However, there was a silent pact between the five of them.

They never spoke of why they were truly here. To do so would practically be committing suicide. Over the past year, Kabuto had seen many men who were classed as rapists or paedophiles beaten and murdered. No, he did not think of himself as a rapist, but that was what he had been charged with (Suigetsu and Zaku had been, too). They wouldn't listen if he told them that it was a misunderstanding, that his woman had been angry with him at the time.

A smile pulled at his lips. That was right! His dear Sakura was a woman now.

And that longing feeling entered him once more.

It just wasn't fair. He wanted to be with her again, to hold her in his arms.

Not for the first time, Kabuto sighed and made his way over to the door. His cell was different from others. Since he was classed as a highly dangerous inmate (ridiculous, if you asked him), he was given an actual room with a door that could be locked and bolted. The others, such as Juugo, Suigetsu and Dosu, all had cells. The types with bars. Zaku also had a room like Kabuto's. Again, ridiculous. Zaku was pathetically–

Just as he was about to step out of his cell, a fist connected with his face, knocking him out of his thoughts and sending him flying to the ground. Two men entered the cell.

"Morning, bitch." a tall, silver–haired man smirked viciously, his purple eyes shining with insanity and practically screaming at Kabuto the pain he wanted to inflict on him.

The other man, who was even taller though had black hair and startling green eyes (they almost reminded him of his sweet Sakura's eyes), stood at the entrance of the cell, blocking Kabuto's only escape. "We have been ordered to question you on Orochimaru's whereabouts."

Kabuto's eyes widened. Had the police set this–

"By Akatsuki." the dark haired man continued, noticing the look.

The other man, the more insane looking one, grinned wickedly and reached within his shirt, whipping out a blade that had been disguised as a toothbrush. "You pissed off the wrong people." he told him darkly, grabbing Kabuto's leg (the one that damned beast had torn into, Kabuto inwardly growled) and dragging him closer. Before he could move away, the man quickly straddled him and pinned him down. "We can do this the hard way or the – fuck it. I'm going to cut you up either way."

"Wait, Hidan–" Kabuto cut himself off with a grunt of pain as the blade cut into his arm.

"Only speak when spoken to, bitch." Hidan smirked nastily and slapped Kabuto's cheek.

"Where is Orochimaru?" the other man asked from his place at the door, seeming rather impatient. But Kabuto knew that the man was most likely wanting to get to his job. Here, in prison, many of the inmates had jobs to earn money. It was no secret that this particular man loved money.

Kabuto shook his head quickly, his eyes widening. "I swear, Kakuzu–san, I don't know."

With a smirk, Hidan muttered in a deadly voice, "Wrong fucking answer."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I won't be able to update on Wednesday for personal reasons, so I'm posting today instead! I needed something to take my mind off of everything, anyway, so I thought 'why not?'**

**Sadly, my cat died last night. We had her for seven years, since she was just two weeks old. Still not too sure what the hell happened, but the vet said it was a long term illness and even if we had taken her to the vet last week, or even earlier, they probably would have suggested euthanasia. One of the saddest parts about it is that the other two cats know. One of them has been with Gizmo all her life and wouldn't leave her side until we took her to the vets, whilst the other enjoyed tormenting her. She loved it really! They were like an old married couple and he definitely misses her.  
><strong>

**We just need to remember the happy times, right? My older sister made a joke because of how and where we found Gizmo. She said "she's definitely the best thing you can find in a bin". I agree. I remember one time when Gizmo lost it and took out all of the other cats _and_ me! Really going to miss her.**

**SIGH.**

**Anyways, sorry if I made you all sad or dampened your moods!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	11. Out Of Control

**Chapter 11 – Out Of Control**

"You haven't spoken to Gaara recently?"

Sakura shook her head at Kakashi's question, sitting by his side on the park bench. Since finishing school, she had tried to stay in contact with as many people as possible – those who had helped her, who had looked out for her and genuinely cared about her. Kakashi happened to be one of those few. He had been unsure about it first, not too sure if meeting a former student was appropriate, but then he would remember that she was a _former_ student. Besides, nothing went on during their meetings. They merely took their dogs to the park.

All _eight_ of his dogs.

To say Sakura had been stunned to see him walking not one, not two or three, but _eight dogs_ _by himself_, would be an understatement. One of them, Bull, was humongous. Perhaps not taller than Ao, but he was huge. It surprised her that he could control so many without any help, but they were all very well behaved. They obeyed each and every single one of his orders like Ao obeyed hers.

It made her chuckle when she noticed that the smallest dog out of them all was like the leader of the pack. Pakkun. Certainly not the prettiest dog she had ever met, but he had his moments of being cute. Like how he had watched Ao, tilting his head to the side before barking once. It seemed like some sort of acceptance, because since then, they played together all the time. Ao had been accepted into Kakashi's dog's pack.

Ao liked spending time with Pakkun and the others. His favourite new friend to play with had to be Bull, however, because he didn't have to hold back when having tug–of–wars or something of the sort. Bull was just as big and just as strong. With the others, such as Pakkun or Guruko, he was a lot more gentle. Whenever he got home from playing with his friends, Ao was always panting and exhausted, but he was obviously happy.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Kakashi asked after a moment of silence, watching as Urushi tackled Shiba to the ground. There was a bark–like yelp before Pakkun dove on them, giving them each a reprimanding snap. They stopped playing so roughly. "Ignoring your problems doesn't make them go away. It often makes them worse, as they have been left to fester–"

"We're talking about a relationship, Kakashi. Not an infectious wound." Sakura sighed. "And Gaara understands that I need time to myself and that my mom needs me to look out for her. She can't cope by herself. If I'm not there, she doesn't eat. She doesn't move. She simply lays in bed all day."

He frowned and glanced down at her. "I thought you said she went back to work?"

Running her hand through her hair, Sakura took a deep breath. Lately she had been feeling a little calmer than usual, but she knew that it was because of the alcohol. It numbed the pain in her chest, made it easier to talk about things. "_Going_ back to work. She's going back to work tomorrow. But… What if she's not ready for that? What if she's pushing herself too hard, too soon?"

There had been a time when Mebuki was asking him and Sarutobi Hiruzen that very same question, only, it had been about Sakura. Kakashi gave her a small smile. "Perhaps your mother needs the distraction work will give her, Sakura. I don't know what it's like to lose a partner, but I heard that your husband or wife is like your best friend – and I know the pain of losing your best friend. It's not something I would wish upon even my worst enemy. Let your mother grieve in her own way, but make sure you make it known that you're there for her." he gave her knee a soft pat. "Don't give up on her. Mebuki–san is a tough woman. She'll pull through this with your help."

"Thank you, Kakashi." Sakura gave him a small smile, though turned when she heard Ao barking. At the sight of him being knocked over, Sakura couldn't help but laugh, earning her a disapproving huff from him. "It's not nice always being knocked on your ass, is it, Ao?"

He barked in warning, like a teenager would yell at their parent.

She laughed harder.

Also, like a teenager, Ao huffed and turned away, seeming to be sulking.

"Ao reminds me of Pakkun when he was younger." Kakashi chuckled, not missing the interaction.

Sakura could barely even catch her breath as a certain thought entered her mind. "Pakkun kept knocking you on your ass, too?"

Once again, he chuckled and shook his head. "That would be incredibly embarrassing on my part, don't you think?"

"Very."

"No, I meant how Ao acts with you, is how Pakkun used to – and sometimes still does – act with me."

Watching Pakkun, Sakura couldn't help but smile. It was like he was the father of the entire pack, looking after each of them and making sure the others didn't play so roughly that somebody got hurt. When she was younger Sakura would have never thought that dogs would be capable of caring so much as she hadn't always been an animal lover. Now, however, she… Sakura wasn't even sure how to word her thoughts. All she could think of was that it was heart warming seeing how close they all were and she was so very happy that Ao had these guys as his friends.

Suddenly, Ao came darting over to her and realising what he was about to do, Sakura's eyes widened.

"Ao, don't–"

Too late.

His way of getting her back for laughing at him being knocked over, was to roll around in the mud and shake it off in front of her, effectively hitting Sakura with mud and who knows what else.

Her left eyebrow ticked when she heard Kakashi laughing, who didn't seem to care that he had also been hit by the dirt.

Looking down at her outfit, she sighed. "You're lucky that I'm wearing my sweats."

Ao barked several times, almost as though he was laughing.

Sakura grinned and shook her head, leaning forward and kissing his head, only for him to lick her face when she was done and about to pull away.

Yes, she thought of her dog as her baby. He meant everything to her.

* * *

><p>They had stayed an hour later at the park than usual, mostly because Sakura hadn't wanted to take Ao from his friends so soon (they bought hot chocolate to keep themselves warm, because despite it almost being summer it was rather chilly – or so Kakashi had stated). It was adorable the way Bull watched Ao leave, like he was going to miss him terribly. And by the time they got into her car, Ao was panting heavily and his stub wouldn't stop twitching, as though he was wagging an imaginary tail. Sakura wasn't too sure why Ao didn't have a tail, but apparently it was normal for a rottweiler not to have one.<p>

After taking a shower and getting changed into clean clothes, she made lunch for both herself and her mother, who was incredibly silent during the meal. Sakura was really worried about her.

From her classes and working with Tsunade, she had learned that mental illnesses were genetic, though could skip a generation. What if the death of her father had triggered something in Mebuki? Was her mother a sufferer of bipolar disorder, too? Say she had a child, a book Sakura had been reading told her that there was a fifty percent chance of that child also suffering from bipolar disorder, though only if it was triggered by something.

In her honest opinion, Sakura believed that everyone had the capability of being 'mentally unstable'. Nobody was ever one hundred percent sane, after all. Take a look at some of the criminals! How could somebody willingly take a life? How could somebody rape others? Even the paedophiles! What the hell went through a person's mind to suddenly decide to prey on young children, on the vulnerable?

That was just the point. She _didn't_ know what went through their minds, just like people didn't know what went through hers. Only others who had bipolar disorder could truly understand her.

But that wasn't what she was on about! Sakura inwardly growled at herself before calming down. Right now, she had to focus on her mother and the fact that something was so very obviously not right with her. How would she react if it was Gaara? It was a disgusting thought, she knew that, but would Sakura react the way her mother currently was? It was hard to tell and she didn't even want to think about it too much. It hurt.

"I think I might go and visit Ino today." Sakura spoke softly, not wanting to startle her mother. She needn't have bothered. Sometimes she had to repeat herself and speak a little more loudly for Mebuki to even hear her. "Do you want me to pick you anything up, since I'll be going through town?"

Mebuki shook her head.

Sakura tried not to let it bother her.

"Okay, just call or text me if you change your mind. I don't mind stopping off at a shop."

She nodded.

Don't get her wrong, because Sakura was devastated over the loss of her father, but she kept wondering when Mebuki was going to come back to herself. This was not how her father would want her to be. He'd want her to be focusing on other things, would want her to get back on her feet and be the fighter that she was. It crushed Sakura that such a strong woman was currently unable to speak, was barely able to sleep or eat.

Getting up and taking the now empty plates, Sakura entered the kitchen and placed all used cutlery, plates and glasses into the dishwasher, turning it on as she turned to leave.

"I'm going now." Sakura told her mother, kissing her cheek. It made her heart warm how Mebuki kissed hers in return and didn't seem distracted whilst doing so. "Call me if you need anything, won't you? I love you."

She gave her a small smile. "I love you too, Sakura. Go and have some fun."

* * *

><p>"Sakura," Sai called out and he had the two women's attention instantly. "Would you mind if I painted you?"<p>

She had arrived at Ino's place half an hour ago and since then, they had been gossiping and talking about what should happen next in her magazine and if Sakura liked her latest designs. Things such as those. There was a great bonus to being friends with Ino – free clothes! And not the tacky leftovers either. Sakura was given new season stuff before anybody else.

About ten minutes ago, Sai had returned from work in his gallery. Apparently during his two final years of school he had been a part of many art competitions and many artists were amazed by his work, so much so that they sponsored him and helped him open his own gallery. It hadn't been anything special at first. The place had looked a little run down, actually. However, Sai had worked wonders on the place and turned it from a barely holding it together dump, to modern and amazing. You could relax there whilst looking at his art, which Sakura had done several times. She was torn between which pieces of his art she wanted to buy, as some would go perfect in the living room at the condo.

Ino's eyes widened as she knew exactly what kind of painting he had in mind. "Sai!" she practically screamed and at her sudden rage, Sakura also figured out what kind of picture he wanted. "Have you been living under a rock these past couple of years? You can't ask something like that of Sakura!"

"Why not?" It was Sakura who spoke, her eyebrows knitting together ever so slightly. "I wouldn't mind."

This only made Ino angrier. "Are you off your meds? No! I'm not allowing you to do this! You may be fine with it now, but what about when Sai hangs it up in his gallery for people to see?"

Her question, despite not being serious, immediately had Sakura on the defensive. "I can do whatever the hell I want, pig!" she yelled right back as she stood up. "Give me a time and place, Sai."

He smiled up at her. "Tomorrow at noon in the gallery. There is a studio in the back."

"I'll be there. It's during my lunch hour." her eyes narrowed and snapped to Ino's face. "Don't treat me like I'm an invalid just because I have a mental illness."

With that, she stormed out.

Ino went to stand up and go after her, but Sai quickly caught her wrist and stopped her. "Don't go after her, Ino. Something is different about Sakura."

She nodded. "You noticed it too, didn't you?"

His eyes narrowed and he watched through the window as Sakura got into her car, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary before starting it and driving off. "She seems more agitated than usual, more easy to anger."

"Do you think she's entering an episode or something?"

There was a pause. "Bipolar does not rule her life, Ino. Remember that. Whilst Sakura may suffer from the disorder, it doesn't mean that every change in her emotions is because of it."

"I'm not saying that it is!" she argued quietly, her eyes dropping to her lap because honestly, that was exactly what Ino had been doing and she knew it. But how could she not? After finding out Sakura was bipolar, she had wanted to be there for her and had asked her doctor, Shizune, to give her as much information on the disorder as possible whilst not going into any confidential information on Sakura. Since then… Ino grimaced. What Sai was saying was true. She had been blaming Sakura's illness for everything. "If it's not, then something serious is up."

Yes, he had noticed that too, which was why he had asked Sakura if he could paint her in the first place.

* * *

><p>The next day at noon, Sakura turned up at the gallery, smiling at Sai as he let her in and showed her into the back room. It wasn't as stylish as the actual gallery, but it was still somewhat comfortable. Only somewhat because of the lights and the scenery equipment.<p>

"I brought the silk robe." Sakura told him, holding it up as evidence. "You want me to wear that and my underwear, right?"

Sai adjusted his canvas and nodded, though paused for a moment. "It would be better if your bra is strapless, however."

"It's not but I'm not too bothered about that. Just as long as I can keep my underwear on."

"You can."

Good, because Sakura wasn't comfortable at all with taking them off. It was a strange thought, but in her mind, only Gaara was allowed to see her without them on.

Using the changing room, Sakura quickly stripped down and folded her clothes up neatly onto the bench, removing her bra next. Not too bad, since her robe would be covering her breasts. There was a reason why this robe was her favourite. Gaara had bought it for her and it suited her well, bringing out her eye colour. The robe reached mid–thigh and was a dark, dark crimson, looking almost black and other than that, it was plain. No fancy designs necessary.

When she was certain that she was decent (or as decent as she could be), Sakura stepped out of the changing room and was greeted by Sai, who now had a camera in his hand. He had told her earlier that he liked to have several pictures surrounding his painting, to tell those who were interested in it just what he had painted and how. Also, it was so that he could remember which colours to use, so that he would only need Sakura for the outline.

"I'm trusting you not to make me look bad." Sakura smirked and posed several times for the camera, trying out many different poses and expressions varying from smiling happily, to pouting, to smiling seductively, sultry.

"That one." Sai finally told her, looking back at the picture to show her it. Right at that moment in time, her back was to the camera, though she was looking over her shoulder with a 'come hither' look. The robe had slipped off her shoulders, revealing pale, soft–looking skin and her hair looked a little dishevelled, making you question just what she had been up to. All in all, it looked good. Not too much, yet not too little that people would just pass by it without a second glance. "Can you pose like this again? I will draw the outline and then paint it. After that, you can go."

Sakura nodded and did as he asked, posing once more. It was during the painting that her phone went off inside of the changing room, though she ignored it even when Sai suggested that she could answer it. Whoever it was could wait.

"Ino is sorry about how she acted yesterday." Sai told her, pretending that he was still painting. He had made sure to have the outline and shaded areas done before speaking about what had happened yesterday. That way, if Sakura stormed out of the gallery, he still had his picture! "She is just worried about you, as you have apparently been acting differently."

Resisting the urge to frown or scowl, Sakura replied, "I'm not acting differently. I'm tired. Looking after my mom as well as Ao and myself is hard work. Not to mention I'm in college most days and on others, I'm working for Tsunade–sama. So I'm not acting differently, I'm just tired."

That made sense, Sai thought as he watched what he could see of her features for a moment. And adding to her explanation, Sakura was also taking a break from her relationship with Gaara. That had to be hitting her hard and what must be hitting her even harder, was the death of her father. It was no surprise that Sakura was so exhausted! Yes, her bipolar disorder probably was making things a little harder, but it wasn't the reason _why_ she was having it so hard in the first place.

"You should rest." Sai spoke up and was still acting as though he was painting her. Then, remembering what Ino had been telling him about those overnight spas she liked to go to, he added, "Perhaps go out for the night and relax?"

It sounded so tempting, but Sakura wasn't sure if she could do it, if she could leave her mother alone all night. "Maybe."

He tilted his head to the side, raising a brow. "Your smile is fake, Sakura, which tells me that you won't be taking a night off to relax."

And who was supposed to be studying psychiatry here?

"I'm not lecturing you." Sai told her, giving her a smile. "I am merely suggesting that you take a break. You could use it."

She seriously could, but… her mother…

"I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything." she sighed, fixing her robe when he told her he was done. "I need to look after my mom right now."

Since Sai wasn't all too sure how that certain bond worked (although he had been watching how Ino interacted with her mother for a while, trying to understand how they felt towards one another – completely irritating and confusing if you asked him because one moment, they were like best friends and a second later, they would be arguing over something so very unimportant), he nodded. "Of course, though I am certain she would want you to take some time to relax."

Knowing Mebuki the way she did, Sakura believed that Sai was right, but right at that moment in time, her mother was not her mother. She was a heartbroken woman who could not fend for herself and needed looking after, needed protecting. Saying that, though, Ao would be there. He was perfectly capable of protecting her unless somebody somehow managed to slip by him. That wasn't a pleasant thought so Sakura immediately shoved it away and focused on how very territorial and protective Ao was, how he would tear anyone who was trespassing to shreds.

Would Mebuki be okay if Sakura went out for the night? Her mind was screaming that yes, yes she would be fine, but her gut was twisting viciously and warning her about something. Warning her about what? Sakura didn't know. All she knew right at that moment in time was that she was incredibly confused and lost and wasn't sure whether to follow her gut, her mind, or her heart.

Actually, no. Her heart had no part in this decision. If it did then Sakura knew she would be running straight back to Gaara. That couldn't happen. They needed a break, to let things cool down between them. Until he was ready to hear her out and _not_ immediately pin everything on her being bipolar, they would never stand a chance. That could not happen. Sakura loved him too much. She loved him with all her heart and it would utterly annihilate her if their relationship ended for good.

"Maybe you're right." she nodded slowly, unsurely.

But who exactly could she go out with? Every single one of her friends knew that Sakura could not drink (even though Sai hadn't been suggesting she should go out drinking, that was immediately where her mind had gone to) if she was taking her medication. If she told them she didn't need it anymore, they would most likely be angry with her. No, if it was some of her _closest_ friends, they would be downright murderous. Who wouldn't–

Sakura bit back her grin.

She knew the perfect person to call.

* * *

><p>They had agreed to meet with her, to go out.<p>

This certain person had never judged her. They had never made any comment or insinuated anything to her. Granted, they rarely hung out, but Sakura liked this person. They understood her in a way.

And as that certain person entered the club with an aura of superiority, Sakura smirked. Just like that night over a year ago, they were demanding every person's attention, their body language practically screaming that she demanded all others to bow down to her. There was a reason why Sakura liked this person so much. It was the air they gave off, the expressions they gave or the emotions they released. Everybody was below them, yet they looked up to Sakura like she was somebody so very important.

They spotted her easily as she was definitely the only one in the club with pink hair and also, her red dress was hardly unnoticeable. Sakura was beginning to notice something, too. Lately, she had been wearing the colour red a lot. Not just the same red over and over again, but different shades. Most were ridiculously close to Gaara's hair colour. Weird.

"Sakura."

Her smirk widened, taking in the new, more obvious yet still subtle curves. "You've definitely grown since the last time I saw you, Moegi."

It was irresponsible of her to invite a fifteen year old girl on a night out on the town, she knew that, but who else was there to ask? Besides, Moegi had been drinking for a while now. Most rich kids had their first alcoholic drink when they turned thirteen! Sakura had. So had Naruto. Even Sasuke and Itachi had and they were from one of the most traditional, strictest families Sakura had ever met before. Actually, now that Sakura thought about it, she, Naruto and Sasuke had had their first alcoholic drinks together whilst on holiday. They had been celebrating something, though she couldn't remember what. It had been something to do with Itachi. Or Shisui. Either one of them.

"You know," Moegi drawled, looking Sakura up and down, "if I knew you'd come out looking like _that_, I never would've agreed to come out with you. You're going to steal all the best looking ones."

Her words didn't register entirely as she was already a little buzzed. Secretly drinking vodka all day did that to you. Rolling her eyes, Sakura lifted her left hand. "No problem there. I'm engaged, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" she smiled brightly, sitting down beside Sakura at the bar. Her purple–pink dress shifted as she did, going higher up her thighs until it was indecently short. Moegi didn't bother to fix it and instead crossed one leg over the other. "It was all over the news and magazines. So you bagged yourself the leader of the Sabaku Corporation, huh? How did that happen?"

It hurt thinking about Gaara. It literally pained her. In response to that pain, Sakura quickly gulped down the rest of her drink before grabbing the bartender's attention, demanding a refill and ordering Moegi a drink at the same time. She didn't blame the unknowing man for not asking for Moegi's I.D, as she appeared much older than she actually was with all her makeup. Hell, she looked older than Sakura! "You've met him before, Moegi. During the Hyuuga's dinner party back when I was still in high school. He was my date for the evening."

"For someone who is supposed to be engaged, you sure don't look happy." the younger girl muttered, regarding Sakura's features. She seemed depressed, in all honesty. No it went deeper than that. Just the look in her eyes told you that. "Is it an arranged marriage or something?"

She didn't look happy? Well, maybe it was because the man she loved would rather believe his slut of a secretary instead of her! The pain increased at the thought. Why wouldn't he believe her? Had she done something to suddenly lose Gaara's trust in her? _What the fuck had happened?_ "No. It isn't arranged. Gaara proposed to me…" because he loved her? If he loved her, then why did he choose that bitch over her? "We're happy."

_No, we're not._

Before Moegi could say anything more, Sakura downed yet another drink and grabbed her hand, grinning as she pulled the girl onto the dance floor.

"Sakura, my heels–"

"Come on!" she smiled, barely even giving the auburn haired girl a chance to fix her balance. In Sakura's eyes, if Moegi was so into all the partying and the drinking, she should already know how to walk in high heels! It was practically mandatory. To not do so would mean looking like an idiot. "This is a good song. When I was your age, me and my friend, Ino, would never be off the dance floor!"

Moegi's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Well, I'm going to have to teach you that things are very different now, old woman."

Old woman? Sakura's eyes widened, but then she burst into laughter with Moegi.

Sai was right. She needed this.

Just like old times.

* * *

><p>"Where are we goin'?" the auburn haired girl demanded with annoyance, eyes lidded and stumbling ever so slightly. Sakura had to hold back her smirk. It seemed Moegi didn't have quite the tolerance she and Ino had. "There was a cute guy back there! And it's freezing, too. Why… Why do we have to leave?"<p>

Rolling her eyes, Sakura continued to walk down a path she knew well. It was one she had taken with Ino, Sasuke and Naruto many times. "We can go back after this!"

Noticing where they had gone, the girl stomped her foot with annoyance, though followed Sakura into the store.

"Tattoos?" Moegi slurred, stumbling into the tattoo and piercing parlour after her. "I don't want any."

"They're not for you!" she snapped in return, strutting over to the counter and slapping down the amount that would cover the costs. Well, Sakura hoped it would, because that was all the change she had left. After that, she would be need to visit a cash machine to withdraw more. "Two tattoos please!"

The man looked up, assessing her for a few minutes through narrowed eyes. He appeared to be fairly young – at least Sakura thought that he did. There was something a little familiar about him, like she'd seen him before, but–

"_You_ again." he suddenly huffed and placed down his magazine. "I haven't seen you here in a while, Sakura. Where are the boys who are usually with you?"

Her features brightened as Sakura remembered who he was. "Akira–san! I haven't seen you, either!" a moment later and she realised he had asked her a question. "Oh you know Sasuke and Naruto! They're probably off out getting up to no good."

Nodding once, Akira counted the money and then gestured for the two women to follow him into the back, signalling for one of the other workers to handle the counter and watch the door. Not a lot of customers appeared at this time of night, but that wasn't too surprising. It was way past midnight.

"Most likely." Akira rolled his eyes. "The last time they were here, Sasuke threw up in the sink and Naruto passed out on the table." She burst into laughter, Moegi following her, making him once again roll his eyes. "You're both completely wasted, aren't you?" Sakura pressed a finger to her lips, telling him to keep it quiet. "I'll do your tattoos for you, Sakura, but the kid isn't to have any. Is that understood? Tattooing Naruto was a one–off."

"Perfect." Sakura fell into the stool, lifted her sleeves and placed her arms on the table, already knowing exactly what she wanted and where. "Akira, I want you to cover my scars."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I've said before that I always put little pieces of myself in my stories (that sounds so nerdy but it's true). Like Sakura just now, I have two tattoos, one on each wrist. They weren't even going to be in the story, originally. I was just looking down at my tattoos the other week and I thought "something like these would somewhat cover Sakura's scars" not to mention cause a little bit of trouble! I haven't decided what tattoos Sakura's getting yet. ...Or have I? Ha! Tell me what you think Sakura should get for her tattoos on her wrists and you'll see eventually if you're right or if I used your idea!**

**I might be posting more often as writing helps me, in an odd way. It sounds silly, I know, but it calms me down.**

**Thank you to those who sent their support about my cat, Gizmo. It's still really strange walking around the house and not suddenly being hissed at for absolutely nothing, and it's even stranger not hearing her running all they way through the house just for her cat biscuits.**

**Is anyone else disappointed with how Naruto ended? I won't post any spoilers, but I'm just saying that whilst I do like some parts of the ending, I also don't like it. It just kind of seemed a little rushed to me.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	12. Making Him See Sense

**Chapter 12 – Making Him See Sense**

Oh how she felt sick.

The entire world was spinning for Sakura as she slowly sat up, holding a hand to her head and swallowing the bile fighting its way up her throat. She hadn't felt so rough in a long while and the last time she had felt this way, Gaara had taken care of her. Clearly, that was not going to happen this time for many different reasons.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura glanced around unsurely for a moment before realising she was at Ino and Sai's place. How the hell had she ended up here? The last thing she remembered was being in a club with Moegi, dancing and drinking. Oh and then they had left for a short while, taken a walk to some place–

Oh no.

She closed her eyes, silently begging and praying to whoever was listening that they had _not_ gone to the tattoo parlour only ten minutes away from the club they had been in. No, they had gone to a takeout and ate before going to a different club. That was what they did. They–

"I see it's finally catching up to you."

The voice was sharp, completely uncaring when Sakura cringed at the sound.

Honestly, it wasn't even the hangover that had made her cringe at the sound of Ino's voice. Sakura wasn't entirely sure what it had been, but it wasn't because of her hangover. That was actually fading slightly now that she was sat up, after she accepted the glass of water from the blonde and took careful sips. Ino sat down beside her, staring Sakura down with an annoyed, disbelieving, yet worried gaze.

"Here." she sighed, handing over pills that would take away the headache.

Sakura took them greedily, however just as she was about to place the glass onto the coffee table, something caught her eye, making her breath leave her as though somebody had just gone and punched her in the stomach.

They had gone to the tattoo parlour.

Her scars were covered.

But that wasn't what upset her. It was what they were covered with. Kanji. On both wrists, going over her scars, was a single kanji. Her right wrist said "strong". Her left, the one that was practically screaming at her and demanding her attention, the one that upset her greatly and made her cringe…

It said love.

Just like the scar on Gaara's forehead.

How the hell was he going to react when he saw the tattoo? That scar on his forehead was from his childhood, was because of how he had been treated. It was incredibly personal to him and Sakura had gone and trampled on the meaning. In a drunken mistake, she had gone and had it tattooed onto her wrist like it meant absolutely nothing.

"Kind of romantic, in a nerdy way." Ino commented, also staring down at the tattoo. It was almost impossible to see Sakura's scars, although if you stared hard enough, it wasn't all too hard to see them. It just made it more difficult. "Having 'strong love' tattooed on your wrists, I mean. You've always been a hopeless romantic and that's not even bringing up the fact that Gaara has–"

She shook her head, still utterly horrified with what she had done.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Don't you dare." Ino's voice hardened as she glared at a deathly pale Sakura. "I just had my carpet cleaned!"

* * *

><p>"Are you working today?" Ino whispered into the phone, peeking around the corner to look into the living room.<p>

Since finding out that she had had tattoos done, Sakura had been quiet. She had been pale, quiet and looking very close to breaking down into tears. It was so wrong but Ino had absolutely no idea how to help her and to make matters worse, she was alone. Sai had already left for work as he had a meeting with some businessmen who wished to buy certain pieces of his work. Also, he had yet to finish Sakura's painting, so he had that to do, too.

"_Is something the matter, Ino–san?"_

She sighed. There had been no one else to call. Obviously, Sakura was not happy with Gaara, otherwise she would have gone to him. Then again, Sakura hadn't come to her place willingly – she had been brought here. Wailing and sobbing. Damn it, Ino had a headache just remembering all of the things she had been told about.

One of those things made her blood boil.

"Yeah, actually. I need you to pick Sakura up. She's here at my place." lowering her voice and once more making sure that Sakura wouldn't be able to hear her, she continued. "She's not right, Itachi. I'm not blaming her disorder, but something is definitely wrong with Sakura and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do! Do I stay here and keep her company whilst also keeping a discreet eye on her, or do I let her go home by herself?"

There was a pause. "_What makes you say that something 'is not right' with Sakura?"_

It seemed big brother mode was switching on, as Ino could already hear what sounded like keys being picked up. Apparently Itachi was not working today. That was good. "I mean, she's completely on edge and looks close to having a breakdown! She's… She's been drinking, too. Not just a few either. If I'm right – and I always am – then I'm guessing that Sakura's been drinking for a while now."

"_Her medication_–"

"I can't find it. It's not in the bag she was using last night, but that's not surprising. Who'd take their medication with them on a night out?"

Another pause and during that pause, Ino heard a car door shutting. _"I am not working today, as it is Saturday. Where is Sakura now?"_

"Still at my place." Ino told him and then gave him her address.

"_I will be there soon._"

With that, the call ended.

Ino bit her lip worriedly and locked the phone, slipping it back into Sakura's purse and once she had, she entered the living room, putting on a bright smile. "I found it! Somehow it ended up in the refrigerator." Lie. It had actually been in the bathroom sink. "I don't even want to know how."

"Thanks for this, Ino." Sakura said quietly, accepting the bag but then dumping it onto the sofa. A second later and her head was falling into her hands.

Gaara was going to hate her.

The moment he realised what she had done, he would hate her.

"Sakura?"

Tensing as a hand fell to her shoulder, Sakura's eyes quickly snapped to Ino's, making the blonde slowly pull her hand back. One time, Shizune had warned her that when in a panicked state, when she didn't want to be touched, Sakura _would_ attack when touched. Seeing that look in her wide, apple green eyes, the panicked look that only grew as the seconds went by, worried Ino.

"I…" she trailed off, hesitating for a moment before sitting down beside Sakura, giving a small smile when those green eyes continued to watch every single one of her movements closely. "I have a lot I need to do today, so I called Itachi to come and pick you up."

"I–Itachi?"

"Yeah. He's not working today and I'm not letting you take a smelly cab back to your place – you'd probably throw up and then _I'd_ have to pay for it!"

A reluctant smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "You're probably right."

"I'm _always_ right."

"No you're not."

"I am."

"Not."

"Am." Ino quickly shook her head and growled with annoyance. "Look, Itachi will be here in about five minutes. I've put everything back in your purse and I tried calling your mom to tell her you're okay, but she wasn't answering."

Sakura nodded. "She's going back to work today."

Immediately, Ino brightened. "Seriously? That's great! The fashion world has _really_ gone downhill since Mebuki stopped designing. I know it hasn't been that long, but–"

The doorbell suddenly rang, but that wasn't what cut her off.

It was how Sakura reacted to it.

Her hands came to her ears and she flinched as though she had just been struck, letting out a quiet noise of surprise and shaking.

"M–Make it stop!"

Make it stop? "It only rung once, Sakura."

She shook her head, eyes squeezing closed. "It won't stop ringing!"

Quickly jumping to her feet and running to the front door, Ino all but threw it open, looking at Itachi with wide eyes. "You need to take her to Tsunade–sama, Itachi. I don't care what anyone else says. This isn't normal behaviour. This is something serious – it's something to do with her being bipolar!"

Itachi regarded her for a moment before stepping into the home and entering the living room, watching Sakura as the girl continued to tremble, whispering repeatedly "make it stop". Ino was right. Something was definitely not right with her. It was incredibly harsh saying it in such a way, but Sakura was freaking out. Something was freaking her out.

"I'm going to visit Gaara." Ino told him, keeping her voice low so that Sakura didn't hear. "This needs to be fixed and since nobody is making any moves to fix it, I'm going to do it myself."

"It is best not to get involved in their relationship." just as Ino was about to argue, he continued, silencing her. "But I agree. I would have gone to him myself, but it is clear that Sakura should not be alone right now." There was no telling what she would do. Sighing, he stepped closer to Sakura and slowly knelt down in front of her when her eyes snapped open and she stared at him. It cut him deeply how terrified she seemed, how her shaking wouldn't stop. "Come, Sakura. I'm taking you home."

Her hands tugged at the sleeves of the jacket Ino had given her. "I can't go home."

Knowing that it would be okay to leave them alone, Ino went to her bedroom to get ready and once they were alone, Itachi gently took her hands in his, frowning when he felt how cold she was. Perhaps that was why Ino had given her a jacket? "Why can't you?"

And that was when she started crying. "Gaara… He's… He's going to hate me!" pulling her right hand free, Sakura lifted the left sleeve of the jacket. "He's going to hate me."

"You covered your scars." Itachi breathed, stunned to say the least as he was so very certain that Sakura hadn't despised her scars. She had never covered them permanently like she now had, because they served as reminders to her. They reminded her of everything that had happened and how so very lucky she was to be alive today. "Why would Gaara–kun hate you for covering them?" but that was when he recognised the kanji. It was the same one as the one on Gaara's forehead. Only, Itachi wasn't foolish. He knew it wasn't a tattoo. It was a scar. "Come, Sakura." he told her once more, standing up and also pulling Sakura to her feet. "We should probably get going now. We can figure out what to do or say to Gaara–kun later."

She nodded silently.

* * *

><p>It was still early in the morning. At least seven thirty by now.<p>

Tapping a rhythm against the steering wheel, blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

She knew that nobody had entered the Sabaku Corporation building as of yet. Well, nobody except for security guards as they traded shifts. Also, the parking lot was fairly empty. Neither Gaara's car nor Matsuri's was there yet. Ino growled angrily. Matsuri. She had met her a few times, though couldn't really say that they were pleasant meetings. Unlike others, she had noticed how deeply the brunette hated Sakura, although wouldn't have thought that she would attack Sakura in such a vicious way.

Messing with her head?

Ino wanted to see how the bitch liked it when somebody fucked with _her_ head.

And that was when a car slid into the underground parking lot. Ino had a way of getting into places she shouldn't be because of the gifts she had been given. Her breasts and looks. Men just couldn't get enough of them! Eye narrowing once more, she watched as the car was parked, watched as the door opened.

The moment she realised just who it was, Ino was out of her car and storming forward. She didn't care about the other cars arriving, she didn't care about the cameras watching them. If she got into trouble for assault, then she got into trouble for assault. Who gave a fuck anyway? Ino had plenty of money to buy her way out of trouble! Not to mention she was somewhat friends with Uchiha Shisui, captain of the police force. Sasuke would back her up for attacking this bitch, too, if he heard what she had been doing to Sakura.

"Oi!"

The brunette quickly turned around after shutting her car door, eyes going wide as she stumbled backwards and away from the car, standing closer to the wall as Ino kept advancing. "W–What are you doing?"

"I'm here on behalf of Haruno Sakura." she stated, noticing the hatred that immediately shot through Matsuri's eyes. "She told me all about you."

"Am I supposed to be happy about that?"

It seemed all fear was slowly slipping away. The blonde strengthened her stance, not caring about how intimidating she was appearing, how it was definitely a fighting stance. All she cared about, was the fact that Sakura had been crying for _hours_ last night, telling Ino _everything_ that had happened. And now? Now, Ino was pissed and Matsuri was going to pay for it.

But just as she opened her mouth, Matsuri's eyes slipped behind her, a smile gracing her lips. Glancing over her and shoulder and seeing a familiar car entering the underground garage, seeing the driver narrow his eyes in suspicion at the sight of Ino, she raised a brow, huffing in amusement at how pathetic Matsuri truly was. It had been a while since the blonde was scared of Gaara. Seeing how he acted with Sakura took away all fear. How could somebody who took such great care of Sakura, who held her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever gotten his hands on, be scary?

Her head snapped back so that she could glare at Matsuri much more viciously than before.

No matter what it took, she would protect Sakura and Gaara's relationship.

"He may be protecting you now," Ino spat, her blue eyes dark and narrowed with anger, "but believe me, the moment he finds out Sakura is telling the truth, the moment he finds out that you've been screwing with her head, Gaara is going to slaughter you. And that's _if _the Uchiha brothers don't get you first."

Much to Ino's amusement, Matsuri stood strong despite the flicker of fear in her eyes. "Gaara–sama already knows that I am the one who is telling the truth. Sakura is a crazy–"

"Oh you had better not even go there." Ino's voice was nothing more than a murmur now, but that didn't make her any less intimidating. "Listen, _girl_, it was my absolute _pleasure_ to destroy wannabes like you in high school." And then Ino was slamming Matsuri up against a wall, ignoring Gaara as he got out of his car and yelled at her to leave. She didn't care that he was making his way over to them. "Call Sakura crazy again and they won't even be able to get your dental records when I'm done with you."

"Yamanaka."

The cold voice didn't effect her like it once did, but Ino still let go of Matsuri, causing her to drop to the ground. The younger girl looked dazed as she stared up at Ino. "I need to speak with you, Gaara."

"I'm–"

"He can't! He's busy!" Matsuri cut him off.

"Shut up. It's about Sakura." her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And it's serious. Itachi wanted to be the one to tell you, but I think it'd come better from me."

Before she could even react, Ino was being practically dragged into the building and before she knew it, they were in his office. The entire journey up to the top floor was silent, with Ino barely holding back her anger whilst Gaara was just about capable of hiding his growing worry and fear. Then, the moment the were in his office, he silently watched the blonde for a moment as she seemed lost for words.

She found them a minute later.

"You've broken her, you know." Ino told him matter–of–factly as she folded her arms over her ample chest. "I know you're probably hurting too, but Sakura…"

"What happened?"

"She's turning back into the 'old' Sakura, Gaara. And not in a good way. She's shutting everyone out, including Naruto – hasn't spoken to him in weeks last I heard. Last night, well, around five o'clock this morning, she came over and was completely wasted, crying about how much she misses you."

Gaara's eyes widened. Sakura had started drinking again? But what about her medication? She was going to make herself sick! And this time, he wasn't there to take care of her. His jaw clenched. Why was she doing this? Why hadn't Sasuke stopped her like he said he would?

"That's not all she told me." Ino's voice grew harder and Gaara could tell in that moment that she was pissed with him. "Sakura told me about your secretary, Gaara. Do you know the sort of shit that whore has been saying to her? Do you know what the hell she just said to _me_?"

He couldn't be bothered dealing with this shit! Sakura needed him. He had an entire fucking business to run! There was nothing Gaara wanted more than to go and find Sakura and shake some sense into her, but he knew he couldn't. It would only make things worse. Sakura left because she needed some space, some time to think to herself. He would be there for her one hundred and twenty percent when she was ready, but Gaara didn't want to risk those suicidal thoughts getting any worse.

"Matsuri has been messing with her head!" Ino suddenly screamed at him when she noticed that Gaara wasn't going to say anything. "She's been telling Sakura that you're having an affair, that you don't love her! Do you–"

"Enough, Yamanaka." Gaara snapped, sitting down at his desk. "Sakura and I have already discussed what has been said and–"

"And you took Matsuri's side." she shook her head with disgust. "You know, when I told you that time back when we were in high school that you should be the one Sakura chooses, I thought you would make her happy. I didn't think it would turn out like this." It surprised him greatly when tears filled Ino's eyes and Gaara couldn't even deny that her words were causing a great pain to fill his chest. "I thought that you loved her unconditionally – something Sasuke–kun could never do. But… Where are you now, Gaara? Sakura needs you now more than ever and you're sitting here with your tacky little secretary!" a sob escaped Ino's lips. "I'm losing my best friend, my sister, all over again, Gaara and it is _killing me_."

His eyes closed as Gaara fought back the urge to scream out his frustrations. It was killing _her_? What about him? It felt like it was shredding him to pieces on the inside knowing that Sakura was self–destructing. "Sakura was the one who decided this, Ino." It angered him that his voice wasn't as strong as it usually was, that it was now barely any louder than a whisper. "I want to be there for her, but she won't let me."

Ino growled with annoyance. "That's because you won't believe her! How the hell is she supposed to open up to you if she feels like you won't believe her?" Gaara's head snapped up, his eyes snapping open and widening. "She's been bottling all of this pain up and _it is going to destroy her_. I'm not going to let that happen and neither is Sasuke–kun." At the narrowing of Gaara's eyes, Ino's also narrowed. "Jealous, are you? How do you think Sakura feels, seeing you with Matsuri?"

That wasn't the fucking same! He had never slept with Matsuri. He didn't have feelings for her! She was nothing more than his employee. How the hell could Ino compare the two? Sakura had once been romantically involved with Sasuke, whereas the only girl he had ever been with, was Sakura. "There is a difference." his voice was stronger now due to his anger. "I have no feelings for Matsuri – she is nothing more than my secretary. Sakura was _in love_ with Sasuke."

"Then prove it to her!" she was screaming again as Ino suddenly slammed her hands down onto his desk, ignoring the pile of paperwork that looked dangerously close to falling over. "She doesn't need your words, Gaara, she needs proof! Show her that you love her. Show her that Matsuri means nothing to you!"

"And how the fuck do you propose I do that?" he yelled right back at her as he shot up out of his seat, startling Ino, who took a quick step back in retaliation, since she had never heard him yell. "I have tried many times to show Sakura the truth, but she won't listen to me! I fucking _proposed_ to _her_! If I had any feelings for Matsuri, I wouldn't have proposed. I would have ended our relationship." he spat. "That _girl_ means nothing to me and will _never_ compare to Sakura!"

A small smile graced Ino's lips. "_That's_ the Gaara from high school."

He paused, his fists trembling with anger. "What?"

"Right now. Your anger, your emotions. This is the boy Sakura fell in love with."

Gaara's eyes widened as he realised it was the truth.

He had changed.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for giving me a lift home, Itachi." Sakura smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess last night was pretty rough and I guess it didn't leave me completely until I got some fresh air. Pig didn't want me driving at all and said <em>she <em>can't drive me because she has something to do."

Itachi gave her a serious look, not believing her pathetic excuse for a minute. "You're not supposed to be drinking, Sakura."

Rolling her eyes, she unlocked the front door and motioned with her head for Itachi to follow. Since it was his day off, he would be spending the day with her. Sakura couldn't wait! It was going to be–

Being knocked to the ground ripped her from her thoughts and for a moment, Sakura could only stare at the dog pinning her down. Ao was barking, growling and whining.

"He's scared?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who is in the house Sakura?"

It was then that Sakura realised something.

Mebuki's car was still in the drive.

She was supposed to be at work two, maybe three hours ago since it was now nine in the morning. Itachi had treated her to breakfast at her favourite café before going home!

"Mom…" she whispered before shoving Ao off her and darting in the house, screaming for her mother at the top of her voice. Ao and Itachi both followed her, one leading the way as he passed her and the other wanting nothing more than to stop her from going into the house.

And then as they entered her mother's bedroom, the cold air nearly knocked her out. It was so heavy, the tension was so thick. There was an ominous feeling in the air that made Sakura want to curl up into a ball and never move again.

"Stay here, Sakura." Itachi warned her as he rushed over to Ao, who was scratching at the bathroom door. From the looks of it, he had been scratching at it all night. Why hadn't he been able to break through? The wood wasn't _that_ thick or strong. Itachi couldn't deny the fact that his heart was racing, that his palms were sweating slightly. Mebuki was a mother to them all and had helped him and Sasuke out when their parents died. If he was feeling this sick, this _scared_ about losing her, how was Sakura handling it? Itachi didn't even want to look over at her as he grabbed the doorknob.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he turned it and pushed the door open, frowning as it seemed to catch on something. That was probably why Ao hadn't been able to break through the door. Dread was building in his body, his hand almost trembling as he added more force into opening the door.

And that was when he heard it.

The sound of a body hitting the ground.

Within a second, he was shoving the door open and entering the bathroom, his heart in his throat at the scene around him.

"Mom!"

His head snapped up, his eyes widening even further at the sight of Sakura entering the bathroom. "I told you stay outside!"

"_No_!" Sakura screamed at him, pushing him away from her. "That's my _mom_! I need to help her! Let me through!"

Itachi closed his eyes and let go, allowing her to move over to the lifeless body of Haruno Mebuki.

"Try not to touch anything." Itachi told her, his voice sounding oddly hoarse. "Something in here could tell us who did this."

It was obvious that a fight had broken out, but unfortunately, Mebuki hadn't been able to last long. Itachi was guessing she had been slammed around the bathroom a few times, considering the fact most of her belongings were thrown across the ground. The window was smashed from the outside, the shower curtain ripped from the rail. But the blood… It was everywhere. And on the door, it seemed Mebuki had been writing a message in her own blood.

'_Save Sakura_.'


	13. I'm Still Here

**Chapter 13 – I'm Still Here**

She had been filling Gaara in on everything that had been happening, on everything not only she, but also Sai and Sasuke had noticed about Sakura. That alone had taken hours. Adding the 'making him see sense' part was adding like, half an hour – forty–five minutes maximum. Why did reporting everything to Gaara take so long? He wanted _every_ detail. He asked many, many questions. He wanted to know everything before he got involved. When she questioned him, asking why he hadn't already, Gaara had reluctantly informed Ino that Sakura had told him she had been feeling suicidal.

It had taken ten minutes for Ino to calm down. Not only with her tears and quiet sobs, but also her anger. Sakura had been feeling suicidal, _suicidal_, yet Gaara hadn't told anyone. And Ino knew for a fact that Sakura hadn't told anyone. If she had, they would have gone straight to Tsunade, but _oh no_, not Gaara. He believed she could "handle herself", that she "only needed some time alone to think". Trying to argue with him was pointless and Ino couldn't understand how Sakura could do it. It was so very tiring. He had a retort for everything and to be honest, his anger still startled her, though nowhere near as badly as it used to.

According to him, Sakura had taken a break from their relationship to clear her thoughts, to allow things to cool down between them. Why? Because apparently, that was what was causing her to feel suicidal.

_Bull–fucking–shit._

That was exactly what Ino had said to him.

Bullshit. There was no way in hell that Sakura was feeling suicidal because of their relationship. And because of opening Gaara's eyes to how much of a spiteful brat Matsuri was, Ino made him see how the brunette's words and actions had been effecting Sakura. She asked him how he would feel if somebody approached him, claiming that they were sleeping with Sakura behind his back. She asked him how he'd feel if somebody was purposely attacking every little insecurity he had.

She asked him how he'd feel if it was Uchiha Sasuke who was telling him those things.

Once again, he grew angry – downright furious – and was yelling that it wasn't the same. To silence him she had uttered that even though he didn't have feelings for Matsuri, she was still a rival to Sakura. Just like Sasuke was a rival to him. It silenced him. Made him think. Since then, they had been talking about how Sakura was doing, how she seemed and Ino didn't even need the knowledge she had gained from being with Sai to see how deeply it hurt Gaara to hear of Sakura being in pain. It caused him great distress when he heard of her emotional breakdown the night before.

"So she is drinking again."

Ino nodded sadly. "I searched her purse and found a bottle of vodka. Not a big one, it was one of the medium sized ones – bought from a shop, obviously." there was a pause. "It was empty." It literally made her feel sick thinking of Sakura – of _anybody_ – knocking back straight vodka like that, but she'd seen Sakura do that before, when they were still in high school. "I had no idea what to do, so I made her sober up last night and this morning, I rang Itachi. Sakura, she…" she shook her head, seeming unsure. "She was completely on edge."

Considering how upset she had been by them, Ino decided not to mention Sakura's new tattoos. There was clearly a reason as to why she believed Gaara would hate her for having them. There was clearly some hidden reason why _he_ had the kanji for love tattooed on his forehead. Subconsciously, Ino's eyes drifted upwards, gazing at the red tattoo on his forehead. Why would he hate her for getting the same thing?

Gaara's eyes narrowed as he noticed where Ino was staring and seeing the expression out of the corner of her eye, she stopped staring. Obviously, it was something serious, something that was extremely personal and private.

"And now?" he asked through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to shift his bangs so that his scar was covered. In a way, Gaara could understand why Sakura hated hers being on show. It never truly bothered him all that much when people stared at his scar, when they judged him and thought it was a tattoo. However, how much had Sakura told Ino last night? The one time he had seen Sakura drunk, she had opened up to him and told him almost everything. But surely, Sakura wouldn't do that, right? No. She wouldn't. She was much too loyal and she knew how defensive he was. He trusted her.

"Now–"

Her phone suddenly ringing cut her off, filling Gaara's office with a loud, obnoxious song. She pulled out her phone, about to switch it off, but seeing the number and recognising it from earlier (having called the person just this morning from Sakura's phone), she paused.

"Itachi?" Ino frowned as she answered the call but wasn't given even a second to talk, her face turning paler by the second as she listened to him. "T–That can't be right! I was speaking with her just _last fucking night_!" Tears were falling from her eyes as she hung up the phone, as she looked into Gaara's eyes. "Itachi… H–He and Sakura… they just went back to her place since he was giving her a ride…"

When she trailed off in a sob, Gaara's eyes widened. "Sakura…?"

Ino shook her head. "N–No. Mebuki… She… She was murdered last night."

Gaara was on his feet and out of his office in a second, ignoring Ino as she sobbed in his office, ignoring Matsuri as she tried to stop him. Temari and Kankuro were in the elevator as he literally jumped into it, not able to stop the shake in his hands as he pressed the underground garage button repeatedly.

"Gaara!" Kankuro exclaimed. "I've been looking for you everywhere. There's something you should know. Last night, I was at this club and I ran into Sakura! _Your Sakura_! She was off her face, man. Like, completely wasted–"

"Not now, Kankuro."

In response, the older brother had to hold back a growl. "What if I told you that I had to take her back to Ino's?" Gaara tensed for a moment. "And she was so drunk that she thought I was you?"

Not even a second later and Kankuro was being slammed against the wall of the elevator with Gaara's face mere inches from his own. The air was viciously beaten from his lungs and for a moment, he could see stars. It had definitely been a while since Gaara had been violent. The redhead's arms flexed with the sudden urge to smash his brother's face into the mirror on their left.

"_What the fuck_ did you do?" he spat harshly, his grip on Kankuro's shirt tightening.

"Nothing!" Kankuro rasped, trying desperately to get his breath back. "Sakura was too drunk to even see straight, but it was like something snapped in her when she tried holding my hand in the cab. I swear, Gaara, I didn't touch her. She knew the moment she tried touching me that I wasn't you." and then Sakura had cried. A lot. No, she had wailed and sobbed. "I took her to Ino's place, made sure she got in okay, and then that was that. After, I left, knowing Ino will take care of her."

He let go of Kankuro quicker than he had attacked, muttering an apology.

Noticing that their little brother looked close to losing it, Temari frowned. "What's happened, Gaara?"

"Mebuki." he murmured, his narrowed eyes glaring at his reflection on the elevator doors. "She's been murdered."

* * *

><p>"Sakura, you must come to the station for questioning, I'm afraid."<p>

She looked up at the two officers who were practically cornering her, shaking as she took a step back. "W–What? But I–"

One of them put their hand on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look and turning her away at the nod he received from the officer who just left the house. "I know you are distressed right at this moment in time, but it is best that we question you now, when everything is still fresh in your mind. That way there is no chance of you forgetting anything."

"I wasn't even in!" Sakura screamed at them, stumbling backwards against the police car. "I was out!"

"And we will check your alibi when we return to the station." the second man stated, though didn't seem as patient as the first. "This is a murder, Haruno. You must come with us."

Shaking her head fiercely, Sakura looked around desperately. "_Ao_!" she cried as she searched for him. "_Itachi_!"

"Please do not resist us, Haruno." the second man sighed. "We are not arresting you, but we will if you continue."

"It won't take long."

The first man opened the back door of the police car and Sakura's trembling increased when the second man grabbed her upper arm, attempting to put her into the car. All she could see were flashes of Zaku helping her into his car. All she could hear was how he had softly spoken to her. All she could remember was how he had suddenly turned on her and then used her body to earn money.

"_No_! Let go of me, _please!_"

"Sakura!"

That voice.

"Gaara!" she sobbed, fighting against the police offer. "Gaara, help me!"

He was there in a second, but the first policeman quickly let go of the door and blocked him, giving the other policeman a chance to put Sakura in the car. It was almost ridiculous how easy it was for him to do so. Gaara's eyes narrowed. Hadn't Sakura been eating? Why did she seem so fragile and breakable as she closed in on herself in the backseat of the police car?

And that was when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eyes.

Mebuki's body.

It was covered, of course. They had put her body in one of those body bags, but it was the fact that he knew she was in there. The woman who had accepted him into her family like he belonged there. The woman who would thank him over and over again for helping her daughter, for simply being there. She would smile and speak with him about everything and anything. Even when he seemed unapproachable, even when he was moody, she still smiled.

His breath caught and his heart stopped.

It restarted as Sakura started screaming inside of the car, banging on the door and kicking it, trying to break out.

"_Let me out_!" she screamed. "_That's my mom, you bastards. Let me out!"_

"Please be quiet, Haruno and stop kicking my car."

"Don't…" his voice was shaking and heavy with emotion and Gaara had to resist the urge to hit the officer. "Don't you dare tell her what to do."

"We must take Haruno to the station for questioning, Sabaku–sama." the second policeman told him. The first had gone to find their captain, Shisui. "Considering how she is acting right at this moment in time, we will also be contacting her psychiatrist."

His rage couldn't be hidden. "You have no right!" Gaara spat. "Sakura doesn't need to go to any damned hospital! What she needs is somebody to explain fully to her what the fuck is happening. Shoving her in a police car isn't going to help! Look at her. She's panicking! Let me go with her!" he demanded, glaring at the officer in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Sabaku–sama, but you cannot go with her."

Gaara glared viciously at the man. "Fine." he spat.

And suddenly, his fist was slamming into the man's jaw.

"Now you _have_ to take me to the station. I assaulted an officer."

Having been informed of the situation and seeing his officer go down, Shisui sighed as he walked towards them. "Put them in the same car."

"But Shisui–taichou, we–"

"He's right." Itachi stated firmly, having also heard of what was happening and just a few steps behind Shisui. "Sakura is very stressed right now and will listen only to Gaara–kun."

The second policeman glared up at Gaara, but Shisui cut him off. "Atsushi, please stand up and act professionally. Gaara–kun is right. You should not be handling the situation in such a way. Sakura has lost both of her parents and is extremely distressed. You should have explained to her–"

Atsushi cut him off, shaking his head as he stood up. "Baiu and I tried to, taichou, but Haruno wouldn't listen. She was resisting–"

"Sakura is not being arrested." Itachi silenced him with a cold glare, one that had Atsushi backing down immediately. "She is not a suspect and she did not have any part in this. I can assure you of that as all morning, Sakura was with me and last night, she was with Yamanaka Ino and her partner."

Shisui nodded once to Gaara. "Get in the car, Gaara–kun. You have until we reach the station to calm Sakura down. After that I'm afraid you will be separated as she must be questioned."

His eyes narrowed. "Questioned?"

"Please do not argue with me on this, Gaara–kun." the oldest Uchiha sighed, trying his best not to let his exhaustion and sadness show. It was difficult. "You know that you can trust me."

It was the truth, but Sakura…

Glancing over his shoulder, Gaara watched as Sakura rested her head onto her knees, completely closing in on herself and squeezing her eyes shut. Her lips were moving quickly, muttering words he couldn't make out, but Gaara was certain that she was singing to herself. That thought was proven correct when he finally turned and opened the car door, sliding in beside her.

She tensed when he placed a hand on her arm.

"Don't touch me."

The cold words felt more like a slap to the face and slowly, Gaara's hand slipped away.

Silence settled between them and outside of the car, Itachi watched with sad eyes as Sakura continued to push Gaara away, before murmuring to the others to give them a moment of privacy. Shisui agreed and ordered his officers to go and search the back garden for clues.

"Sakura." her eyes opened slowly, telling him that she was listening even though she wouldn't look at him. "I…"

What was he supposed to say? That he was sorry? No words would form on his lips. There was nothing he could say. Nothing could soothe the pain she was feeling and he knew that. Sakura had just lost her mother and not too long ago, her father, too. Petty words, no matter how pretty or affectionate they were, were going to make that better.

He didn't need to say anything to fill the silence, for Sakura suddenly did it instead.

"I've lost them." she whispered. "My parents… Gaara… I've lost them."

Looking down at her in confusion, Gaara said, "You haven't lost me, Sakura. I'm here."

Sakura shook her head tiredly. "You're not mine anymore. You chose Matsuri." and then she was crying. "I hate feeling like this. I'm losing everyone I love and _I hate it_."

It was killing him inside seeing her crying. Grabbing her left hand, Gaara lifted it so she was looking at it. "Matsuri is not important to me. She is merely my employee. Look, you are wearing my mother's engagement ring because _you_ are the one who matters."

"I–If I mattered so much…" Sakura hiccuped. "Then why?"

He frowned. "Why, what?"

"Why won't you believe me?" she all but screamed, ripping her hand out of his and facing forward, placing her elbows onto her legs and her head in her hands. "If I wasn't… If I wasn't crazy, if I was normal like everyone else, would you believe me?"

His frown deepened and Gaara wanted nothing more than to hold her, but he knew that she wouldn't want him to right now. "You _are_ like everyone else, Sakura."

Her eyes closed and she let out in a breathless sounding voice, "I really don't like liars."

And with that, she turned away, staring out of the window and ignoring Gaara.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Poor Gaara and Sakura!**

**What do you think should or will happen? Will Sakura go back to Gaara? Will or should she accept his comfort? Or will she continue to push everyone away?**

**Quite a short chapter, so I might update again later tonight or tomorrow. Do you all think I should?**

**Turns out I have a maths test next week and if I fail, I have to pay to retake it. Um... A little warning would have been nice. My teacher is certain that I'm going to pass, though, because on all the past papers, I've been getting over 60% and 60% is what you need to pass. **

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	14. Fight For It!

**Chapter 14 – Fight For It!**

Not a single word had passed Sakura's lips during the entire journey. It was Shisui who drove them to the station even though it was another policeman's car. That didn't matter right at that moment in time. It would be better for somebody Sakura knew and trusted to take her to the station. After about five minutes of the journey, Gaara took a chance and grabbed Sakura's hand gently, entwining their fingers. She didn't tense or pull away, but she didn't return the gesture either.

It pained Shisui more than he would ever admit, but it didn't hurt him anywhere near as much as it did Gaara.

Even though he shouldn't, the Uchiha let Gaara off with assaulting the officer (making a mental note to speak with said officer later) and told him to wait. If Sakura wished to leave with him after being questioned, then she could. If she didn't, she was to leave with Itachi, who arrived only ten minutes after them. He also had to be questioned. They needed both his and Sakura's statements on everything that had happened.

For the first five minutes of the interview, it was quiet. Shisui brought Sakura a cup of tea, but it was untouched, sitting in the middle of the table and left to grow cold.

"Sakura, tell me how you are feeling." Shisui refused to acknowledge the slight beg in his voice. He already knew part of how she was feeling, as he had lost both of his parents at a young age. He knew that pain.

"It's like the world has stopped. It's like everything has just stopped." Sakura whispered, her tone flat. "I… I think I'm in shock. I just… I can't. I can't feel anything other than shock. Or numbness." her eyes drifted up to Shisui's. They were empty, haunted. They were so different than how they had been not even half an hour ago, when she had been screaming and desperately fighting. "She's gone. They're both gone. That's all that's going through my head. That's all I can think! And I… It feels like I can't even breathe. It's like my whole world has just suddenly stopped."

"Sakura…"

Her trembling hands clenched into tight fists. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Tell me everything that has happened." Shisui told her, his voice softer than usual. "And I promise you, Sakura, I will find who did this."

Tears filled her eyes of their own accord as she stared up at him. "Please do." she whispered. "I want whoever did this…" shaking her head, she closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Why? I want them to tell me _why_ they would do this. My mom… She'd never hurt anyone unless they were threatening somebody she cared for!"

"I know." he murmured quietly in reply, staring down at the table. His chest was aching something terrible, but it only made him more determined to help Sakura, to find the bastard who had murdered Haruno Mebuki.

She seemed to pick up on his determination, for Sakura quickly wiped under her eyes, breathed deeply to calm herself and nodded once, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I left around eight to meet with a friend, to catch up…"

* * *

><p>Emotionally drained, Sakura all but stumbled out of the room she had been questioned in. It seemed her earlier hangover was coming back to her as well, because just as she reached the reception area she collapsed in front of a bin, emptying her stomach's contents into it. It was easy ignoring the disgusted looks sent her way by others who were in the waiting area, but what she couldn't ignore was somebody suddenly appearing by her side, resting their large hand on her back.<p>

She knew that hand.

"I'm here." he told her softly, his other hand holding her hair away from her face.

Inwardly, Gaara was breathing a sigh of relief. So Sakura _was_ still taking her medication! He honestly couldn't help but thank whoever was listening. Part of him had wondered if Sakura had stopped taking her pills, as according to Ino, she hadn't been sick at all last night, only upset. The last time Sakura had gotten drunk, she hadn't had nearly as much as she apparently had the night before and yet she had been so very sick.

"G–Gaara…" she choked out before she was throwing up again.

"Uh… Are you okay?"

Glancing over his shoulder with a look of annoyance, Gaara narrowed his eyes. Did they look okay? No! Sakura was currently being sick and reeked of alcohol (vomit too, now), wearing her makeup and clothes from the night before with a random jacket, whilst he was completely worn out. Somewhere in the background, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Itachi getting a plastic cup to fill with water, nodding silently to an officer who was speaking to him.

Only ten seconds later and Itachi was walking over to them, dismissing the man who was asking after Sakura with a polite smile. Then, with a sigh, he knelt down beside the couple and once Sakura was sitting back up, her hands clinging desperately onto the small waste bin, Itachi handed her the plastic cup.

"Take small sips, Sakura. You do not want to upset your stomach any more than what you already have."

It warmed them both greatly when she leaned back against Gaara, immediately relaxing and accepting the water. His hand released her hair and fell to her hip, giving a gentle squeeze. How could he tell her with so many people around, how badly he had missed her? How his arms were aching to wrap around her and hold her against him? Gaara's forehead pressed to the back of her shoulder, his eyes closing and realising that this was a private moment, despite the setting, Itachi stood up again and made his way over to the room Shisui suddenly left, needing to speak with him.

"I missed you."

Sakura bit her lip harshly.

At her silence, his eyes slowly opened. "Please come back to me, Sakura."

Tears filled her eyes.

"It isn't home without you." Gaara's whisper broke for a moment. "I need you."

She shook her head, her shoulders shaking once and feeling her silent sob, he straightened up and moved around her on his knees until he was in front of her. At the sight of Sakura's tears, however, his heart broke.

"You're not coming home with me."

His voice was almost childlike. "N–No."

Instead of arguing or trying to change her mind, Gaara instead nodded and, like his body had been demanding him to do all day, since they had decided to take a break in fact, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and holding her tightly, comfortingly.

"I love you."

Putting the plastic cup onto the ground, she returned his embrace just as strongly, burying her face into his neck, breathing out shakily, "I love you."

* * *

><p>"Why will you not return to Gaara–kun?"<p>

Her eyes continued to stare out of the window, watching as car after car flew by them. There was the occasional van or motorbike, too. Right at that moment in time, they were on the highway and were going back to Itachi and Sasuke's home. Itachi was taking a different route, however, so that they did not have to pass the Haruno home. That was good. The investigation was still in process and that was something Sakura did not want to see. Seeing her mother being taken away in a body bag in the back an ambulance was bad enough. If she saw many policemen going in and out of that house, it would make it all seem far too real.

"Sakura–"

"I'm not ready, yet."

Frowning as he glanced over at her, Itachi asked, "Ready for what?"

"To go back. I'm not ready."

What was there to be ready for? Sakura wasn't even entirely sure. Her mind was going much too quickly for her to even keep up with – it was like her mind was out of sync with everything else, making it impossible to focus on one thought for too long before the next suddenly demanded her attention. Confusing. Everything was just so very confusing to her. Hell, she couldn't even remember how they had gone from her clinging to Gaara, to sitting in Itachi's car.

"You can stay with us for as long as you like." he murmured quietly in return, swiftly turning a corner that guided them onto the familiar road, taking them to their houses. "Ao is currently in the garden. I had Sasuke collect him for you whilst we were at the station."

She nodded, whispering a thank you.

She was so very glad that Ao was at Itachi and Sasuke's. He had to be so very distressed already. Who knows what seeing many strangers in his home would do to him? Sakura bit her lip, her arms wrapping around her middle tightly. Where had the numb feeling gone to? She wanted it back.

Her clenched fists shook minutely.

Not only did Sakura want that numb feeling to come back to her, but she also wanted the bottle of vodka that had been stashed away in her bag.

She _needed_ a drink.

The feeling of absolutely _needing_ something was hard to describe and it wasn't even the first time Sakura had felt such a way. She had felt this way several times before. It scared her how dependent she was becoming on alcohol, but in a way, it made her breathe easily. If it calmed her down, if it helped her cope, why was it such a bad thing? It brought her the numb feeling she craved. It made her mind slow down from its ever–spinning ways.

"Sakura?"

He knew there was no use in asking if she was okay. Of course she wasn't! However, Sakura took a deep breath and tried her best to give him a smile. It didn't work and he wasn't convinced in the slightest. "I'm fine. I just… I feel sick again."

Focusing too much on trying to control the shake of her hands, Sakura did not notice the way Itachi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I have been meaning to ask you something since I arrived at Yamanaka–san's home."

What? What had Ino said? "Y–You have?"

"Yes." there was a pause. "Explain to me what was going through your mind to go out last night and–"

"Don't do this." Sakura whispered, closing her eyes and turning her head away.

Her body was tensing, cramping, and she didn't like it. It hurt. Badly. Enough so that it almost brought tears to her eyes. How long had it been since her last drink? It was way into the afternoon now. At least… Yes, it was four o'clock, or so the clock on the radio told her. That meant it had been at least eleven or twelve hours since her last drink. Sakura knew that it wasn't nearly as painful as it could be. No, she had gone through withdrawal before and this was nothing. However, it showed that she was advancing quickly. Becoming way too dependant.

She didn't care.

All Sakura wanted was her drink.

However…

An idea popped up in her mind, one that had her growing excited.

Sasuke also liked the occasional drink. Which meant there would be some alcohol at the Uchiha home.

"I need to know, Sakura." Itachi sighed and smoothly pulled into the driveway of his home, not noticing the plotting going on in Sakura's mind, or the fact she was in physical pain. "It worries me that you are drinking."

"I'll be fine." she gritted out, opening the door and taking a moment to calm herself so that she didn't stumble. Thankfully, Itachi was also getting out of the car, so did not see that Sakura did in fact stumble, despite trying her best to hide it. "I just need to rest."

The door to the Uchiha home opened the moment Itachi locked his car and when it did, a large dog came shooting out, running straight to Sakura.

She didn't have the patience to deal with him.

"Not now, Ao." Sakura snapped, ignoring all three of them as she stormed passed Sasuke and into his home.

Behind her, Itachi was murmuring something, Sasuke was speaking quietly in return and Ao was whining and whimpering softly, but none of that mattered to her. Sakura simply wanted the pains to stop, for her numbness to return.

It surprised her greatly to find the vodka out in the open. Okay, perhaps not out in the open, since it was in the refrigerator and clearly on Sasuke's half of it (the Uchiha brothers were very strange in her eyes and had a perfectionist, neat streak so everything had to be tidy and _just right_).

Glancing over her shoulder, Sakura quickly unscrewed the lid and pulled the bottle to her lips, gulping greedily and grimacing as it burned her throat, as the vile taste almost had her throwing up, but at the same time, she felt relief. Damn this stuff was strong! What the hell was Sasuke drinking? Sakura read the label intently, but had to reseal the bottle and put it back in the fridge as she heard footsteps. Not even a second later and Sasuke was entering the kitchen, his eyes narrowing a fraction.

"What are you doing?"

Her own eyes narrowed. He knew something. The look in Sasuke's eyes told her, _screamed at her_, that he knew something. Reaching into the refrigerator, Sakura took out a bottle of water, raising an eyebrow. "I wanted some water. Is that such a crime?"

He said nothing, but Sakura could have sworn that disappointment flickered through his eyes before they became blank once more.

Making a mental note to keep an eye on him, as he was more likely to figure out what she was doing (it was his stash, after all), she closed the refrigerator and walked around him once more, though paused at the sound of his voice.

"Remember that you're their kicker."

The name had her tensing, had her eyes stinging, but she quickly shut those thoughts down and continued like Sasuke hadn't said a word.

In her mind, he hadn't.

* * *

><p>After calming her nerves to the point where she was comfortable, Sakura finally managed to relax enough for Ao to sit silently by her side. Until then he had continuously paced, watching her uneasily. Feeling a little bad for how she had snapped at him, she patted the space beside her and gave him a head scratch when he dropped down next to her, his large head resting on her lap.<p>

He was feeling down too, it seemed.

That didn't surprise her. Could dogs go into shock? Could they be traumatised? It pained Sakura just thinking of Ao having post traumatic stress or anything such as that. How long… She swallowed hard. How long had Ao been scratching at that bathroom door last night until she and Itachi returned? How badly had it hurt him to hear Mebuki being attacked, yet being unable to save her like he had saved Sakura?

She bit her lip harshly and took a swig of her drink.

When there had been no one in the kitchen, Sakura had done exactly what she had in her childhood home – she had switched the contents of the bottles. Now, instead of there being nothing but water in her bottle, it was pure vodka and instead of there being pure vodka in the glass bottle, it was plain water. It had been awkward and rushed how Sakura had gone about switching them, but in the end, she had made it just in time, closing the fridge door just as Itachi entered the kitchen and asked her if she was hungry.

The truth was that no, Sakura wasn't hungry. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

Oh wait. It had been Friday morning.

Whatever. She had gone longer without food before and unfortunately survived.

Sighing, Sakura's hand reached out behind her and pressed down into the soft rug beneath her, holding up her weight as she leaned on it. The fire before her was warm and comforting, making her lose herself in her thoughts. She closed her eyes.

Getting lost in her thoughts could either be rather pleasant, or something Sakura wanted to avoid desperately. Usually it was the latter. So imagine her anger and annoyance when the living room door opened and Sasuke entered the room. That anger and annoyance cracked, however, when she noticed the sincere look on his features, when she saw the pain and the hurt. The lost look that had always pained her was back and it was stronger than ever.

"How are you feeling?"

And because of that lost look, because of how gruff and low his voice was, she couldn't help but answer him truthfully.

"I'm just… so tired." Sakura whispered to him, her eyes gazing down at her legs emptily. "I'm so, _so_ tired."

He didn't like where this was going. "Of what, Sakura?"

She didn't look up as Sasuke sat down beside her, though was obviously keeping his distance as Ao suddenly glared up at him and growled warningly. "Everything." her voice was soft, but there was a slight shake to it. "I'm so tired of everything. I don't… I hate feeling like this. I'm exhausted all of the time and not only physically."

At the moment, Sasuke was the only one who truly understood her, who believed her. Like her, he also suffered with a mental illness. He was also labelled as 'crazy' and 'unstable'. However, he never felt this down with his illness. His was mainly anger, though it could often be other emotions that sparked his anger. "Don't hurt yourself." If she was surprised by the slight beg in his voice, she didn't show it. "Please, Sakura. Think of your friends. Think of Ao. And… think of Gaara."

A bitter laugh clawed its way up her throat before she could even stop it and as it did, a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Gaara?" her eyes snapped to his and the tortured and sad look in them made his chest tighten, made his breath leave him. "He's too busy fucking his secretary to even give a shit about me."

"What?" Sasuke demanded and the second Sakura looked away, he grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eye. He ignored Ao growling at him, baring his fangs as the dog slowly stood up to his full height. "Are you kidding me right now, Sakura? _Are you fucking kidding me_? After all this shit, after all this pain, you're giving up? You really think that Gaara would throw somebody like you away for a fling with his secretary?" Unlike when Gaara got angry, Sasuke didn't let go. He couldn't. He had to make her see the truth. "Think with your heart, Sakura. Not your head! Stop listening to those voices telling you lies."

"You don't even–"

He snarled, his hold tightening to the point where it was painful. "I don't what, hm? I don't understand? Don't even try that shit with me! Listen to yourself. Stop laying here and feeling sorry for yourself. That's not what your parents would want. What happened to their fighter? What happened to their _kicker_?"

Tears were pouring down her cheeks at the nickname her parents used to use for her. "The fight in her disappeared." she whispered.

"No. You're just too scared to fight." Sasuke spat, catching her fist with his free hand just as it had been about to connect with his face. He wasn't bothered in the least by it. She was too weakened to cause any real damage. "You're pushing everyone away because you're too scared to fight. If your roles were reversed and Gaara was in your position, what would he do? Would he stay indoors all day, hiding from the world like a pathetic little girl, or would he fight for you?" Sakura opened her mouth, her face flushing red with anger, but Sasuke silenced her. "He nearly died for you, Sakura. He would have gladly given his life so that you could continue to live yours. _How the fuck_ can you disrespect him like this?"

By now, Sakura was sobbing and once Sasuke realised that his words had struck deep, he released his hold on her and his arms opened as she fell against his chest.

"I want it to stop." she cried, her hands fisting in his shirt as she shook in his arms. "I want it all to stop! I want my mom back. I want my dad!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, holding her tightly. How many times had he wished for the same thing? How many times had he wished for his parents to come back? So many times. So many nights he had gone without sleep, wishing and begging for them to somehow come back to him, so he could see their faces just one last time. "We don't always get what we want." he told her quietly. "But you still have a chance of saving your relationship with Gaara, Sakura. Don't throw that away. It will be the biggest regret of your life."

He should know. Even to this very day, he regretted not trying harder, being more, for her. If he had been more patient, if he had been more understanding, things could have turned out so much differently.

If anybody ever accused him of shedding a few tears as he both felt and heard Sakura crying against him in raw, agonising pain, Sasuke would smash his fist into their faces.

Burying his face into her hair, he breathed in her scent, the scent that had always managed to calm him, the scent that had always made him feel better. Since she had taken a shower earlier, Sakura no longer reeked of stale alcohol and vomit, much to his liking. That was the old Sakura. That version of herself should stay in the past, no matter how badly he wanted her back, just so that she would be with him.

After who knows how long, Sakura finally somewhat calmed herself.

It was now or never.

"Where is it?"

Sakura frowned softly in confusion, feeling utterly exhausted. "Where's what?"

"The alcohol."

"I don't have any."

"I know you, Sakura." Sasuke sighed, watching her with hidden wariness as Sakura pulled away and sat up straight. In that moment, her eyes were guarded and he knew he'd hit a nerve. "I know that you've been drinking again because it's not hard to notice. Itachi doesn't know what you're like when you've had a drink, but I do and I can see the effects now. I've been seeing them for a few days. Considering the fact that you're not being sick, I can also tell that you're not taking your medication. That or Tsunade changed your prescription."

His stash hadn't been decreasing by itself (before magically switching to water) and Sasuke knew that Itachi would never drink – he hated the stuff.

Her eyes widened. "Sasuke… Don't… _Please_!"

Sadness flitted through his eyes, but he simply pushed it away and forced himself to stick to it. "No. I'm not letting you self–destruct. I've already lost you twice and I'm not letting you go a third time. Even though you don't see me that way anymore, I'd rather have you as a friend than not at all."

"I missed you so much when we broke up, you know."

The words felt like she was squeezing his chest and Sasuke closed his eyes, not able to look into hers. "Don't, Sakura."

"But I did." she whispered. "I was hurting so much and Gaara was there for me. He didn't say a thing when I'd suddenly go quiet o–or when I… or when I'd cry." her eyes were filled with tears once again. "What have I done, Sasuke? I've messed everything up. I shouldn't be here. None of us should. I should at home with Gaara. My parents they… they should be… They shouldn't be dead! I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself."

"What do you want to do?"

A breathy, single chuckle escaped her. "You really don't want to know."

Her words had his eyes narrowing, had his fists clenching. "Tell me."

"All I can think about," Sakura told him as she raised her sleeves, revealing her tattoo–covered scars to him (silently surprising him, as he hadn't known that she had them covered), "is _that_ night. If I close my eyes, I can still hear my mom begging me to wake up and I keep thinking that, if I go over these scars, create new ones, she'll be there. She'll be whispering in my ear, telling me that I'm going to be okay, that she's going to be there to help me get better." her eyes swept over to his languidly. "Most of all, I just want to feel that feeling again. It's hard to explain it and the word 'relief' doesn't come close. The feeling was like nothing I'd ever felt before."

"Don't you dare do anything stupid, Sakura."

She ignored him. "It had felt like all of my problems, all of the stress that had been building up and picking at me, was draining away. I want to feel that again. I want to feel all my anger a–and pain just… fade away." By her side, Ao whined. "Sasuke, you said that you know Gaara isn't seeing or sleeping with Matsuri, but how can you be so sure?"

"We may not be exactly alike, but we're more alike than either of us want to admit." he replied, his voice sounding oddly strained and when she looked into his eyes again, Sakura found herself surprised as she saw the pain in his eyes. "Gaara won't do anything with Matsuri, Sakura." When she opened her mouth, about to argue, he beat her to it. "If there is a small chance that he does, it won't be because he wants to. It will be because of the stress."

"That doesn't make it right!"

He gave her a blank look. "When you slept with me that last time, did you tell Gaara?" Sakura nodded, looking down at the ground. "And how did he react?"

Well, to put it simply, Gaara had fucked her like an animal and destroyed his bathroom in the process, making her forget about everything except for his name. But she couldn't exactly tell Sasuke that, could she? "He was hurt." Sakura answered after a couple of moments. "And angry."

"But he forgave you."

"…Yeah."

"And if Gaara slept with Matsuri, would you forgive him?"

Sakura bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. "That's different. I was in love with you, Sasuke."

"You didn't sleep with me out of love." Her eyes widened, snapping to his face in shock. "I'm not an idiot, Sakura. I didn't know it at the time, but it wasn't too hard to figure it out. Just seeing the way you acted around him told me that. I still don't know why you did it and I don't want to know." The answer would be far too painful. "But whilst it's not entirely the same…" Sasuke shook his head. "I can't see Gaara hurting you and I can't see him sleeping with another woman, but if he does do that, it will be because of stress. Not out of love." And Gaara would be an idiot to do such a thing to Sakura.

He reached out for her, gingerly taking her hand. "Don't give up on him, Sakura." Sasuke murmured, his eyebrows knitting together and his jaw clenching. "Hear him out." he gave her a soft smirk, though his eyes were fixed on their hands. "He's a complete mess without you."

It took her a few seconds to come to a decision, her hand squeezing his softly.

* * *

><p>His head was banging. His heart was pounding.<p>

It pained him greatly being parted from Sakura.

Everything was just… _so_ wrong without her.

Goodbye to his recent schedule. Gaara no longer took days off or finished early. He couldn't stand being in that condo alone. It wasn't his home. It was theirs. His and Sakura's. There was no Ao running to greet him when he returned home from work, there was no Sakura sat, lost in her work, at the island in the kitchen.

Without Sakura there (Ao, too) that condo was no longer his home. It was merely a place he sometimes stayed in and that was only if he could drag himself out of his office to face it.

Taking a deep breath, he dropped his head into his hands, fisting his hair as he squeezed his eyes shut.

It had been over five hours now since he and Sakura parted, since she left with Itachi. He wanted her so badly. Not in a sexual way – the thought hadn't even crossed his mind – but in a tender way. A loving way. Gaara missed having her fuss over him, having her kissing him softly every single time they greeted each other, even if they had only been parted for ten minutes. His mornings no longer started with an affectionate kiss. He no longer got to hold her as she slept at night.

He smiled softly.

On the nights when he could not sleep, Gaara had always enjoyed holding her as she did, had enjoyed seeing the peaceful expression on her face. It relaxed him greatly and took away any negative emotions he had – successfully helping him relax enough to sleep.

How long had they been together for? It was late into June now and they had gotten together – unofficially – on New Year's Eve. That was a night he would never forget for several reasons. One being that everything was shared with him. Another because of Sakura showing him that it was okay to feel. She had held him and proved to him that she wasn't afraid of him.

One year and six months if he didn't include this temporary separation. Gaara didn't include that. This was merely them taking some time to themselves to think.

It wasn't easy – these couple of months were proof of that. There were times when they would argue, when they would grow angry with one another, however, they always stuck together. Even if he was so, _so_ incredibly angry with her, Gaara couldn't go long without at least seeing her face and if he caught even a whisper of somebody badmouthing her, he would be there in an instant to defend her, just like she would for him.

Grabbing his phone, Gaara unlocked it and went through his contacts, his finger hovering over Sakura's name for a second before he finally pressed it. He smirked at the picture. When he had been asleep one time, Sakura had changed the picture of her caller i.d, changing it to one where they were together. Happy. Gaara liked the picture so hadn't been upset with her for going on his phone. What was there to be upset about? It wasn't like he had anything he wasn't supposed to on there. No secretive messages, no unnecessary phone calls. Besides, Sakura at least trusted him enough not to go through his phone like he knew others did. Temari had once gone through Shikamaru's, whilst Ino always went through Sai's.

He scoffed quietly. No trust. You needed trust for a relationship work. It couldn't all rely on love because whilst it was a powerful emotion and was enough to break you, it could not fix something that wasn't there.

"_Hey, this is Haruno Sakura. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

Gaara sighed and ended the call. There was no use in leaving a message. If she wasn't answering her phone, then it most likely wasn't even with her. That was just a fact.

His hand shook ever so slightly as he put the phone down onto his desk.

He was so stressed right now and there was so much going through his mind. Was Sakura okay? Will she ever speak to him again? It annoyed him, but that second question made his heart ache and it felt like… it felt like he wanted to cry. _Him_. Crying. Pretty foolish, right? Gaara just hoped that no matter what, Sakura would be okay. He hated the thought of her being upset or feeling like she was alone. He knew how much she hated to be alone.

As though that wasn't bad enough but because of his mind focusing only on Sakura, his work had been piling up, paperwork had been missing their deadlines. Gaara hadn't been able to sleep properly since she left. All that kept running through his mind were the times they'd spent together, practically torturing him into thinking that they would never be able to create more memories. It pained him. The reason he had proposed to Sakura was because he wanted to spend his life with her.

They had embraced earlier right until she left him again, but that could have meant anything. Gaara was trying his best to be optimistic, to think that yes, Sakura was going to come back to him. Was that the truth? The negative part of him was saying no, it was not. Sakura was never coming back and that embrace had been their final embrace. That was why she had held onto him for so long, that was why she had cried when he told her that he loved her.

Gaara shut his eyes tightly. He didn't want to feel that. The pain that came with those thoughts was most definitely unwanted. It hurt too much.

A knock at his door made him sigh and take a moment to collect himself before softly telling the person to enter.

It was Matsuri.

Part of him wanted to scream at her to leave, that it was _all her fault_ for hurting Sakura, but that would be wrong of him. It wasn't only Matsuri's fault. Sure, she shouldn't have been so horrible, but Gaara knew he was just as to blame. He should have believed Sakura.

He was too exhausted to tell her to leave him alone.

Closing the door behind her quietly, Matsuri walked over to the desk and sat down opposite him. Silence settled between them and it seemed she could pick up on his mood, for the brunette wasn't her usual, cheery self.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Gaara–sama."

It wasn't only his loss. Yes, over the past eighteen months, he and Mebuki had grown close enough that he could see her as a mother figure, however, the others would be hurting more than him. The ones who had grown up with her by their sides. How were Sasuke and Naruto taking the news? How was Itachi taking the news? How long had the latter known Mebuki for? Since he was four years old, Gaara was certain Sakura had mentioned. Mebuki had been a major part of Itachi's life, especially after his own parents died.

And then… there was Sakura.

"Gaara–sama," Matsuri sighed sadly, standing up and moving around the desk. She ignored the way he tensed, the way his eyes snapped up to hers, when she pulled him to his feet and into a tight hug, "please don't bottle up your sadness and pain. It isn't healthy and I don't want to see you wither away. We're… friends, right?"

He didn't return her hug. That would be wrong of him to do so, wouldn't it?

Were they friends? Gaara had thought that they were honestly nothing more than boss and employee.

So, not knowing what to say, he didn't answer. He merely stayed still in her hold, trying to ignore how close she was, how she was rubbing his back in a supposedly comforting gesture. If Gaara focused hard enough, he could pretend that it was actually Sakura who was holding him. His mind was so tired that he barely even took in the differences in their bodies. Whilst they were both petite, Sakura had definitely grown since high school and was the most curvaceous of the two, yet not overly so.

Pulling back ever so slightly, Matsuri gave him a small smile. "I'm here for you. Whatever you need, no matter how great, just take it."

And then, Matsuri pressed her lips to his.

And he didn't stop her.


	15. Together

**Chapter 15 – Together**

Her hands were fisted in his hair as he pushed her against the wall, gripping her legs tightly as they wrapped around his waist. But just as Gaara pressed his body against hers, he realised something.

He wasn't aroused…

…because no matter how tired his mind was, this wasn't Sakura.

The legs around him weren't as toned as hers, or as smooth. The hands fisted in his hair were far too gentle and they didn't tug on it like Sakura's hands would. Her hips weren't as wide as Sakura's, her lips weren't as full. The sounds of her whimpers and moans didn't arouse him like Sakura's did. Damn it! What the hell was he doing?

Gaara dropped Matsuri like she had a disease as he backed away, feeling disgusted with himself. How could he betray Sakura like that, especially at a time like this? He had… He would have had sex with Matsuri if he hadn't stopped it right there and then! Looking down at himself, Gaara could only feel a little grateful that he didn't have an erection. Okay, maybe he _wouldn't _have had sex with her, but what he had done had still been bad. It was like his body knew that Matsuri wasn't Sakura. Or… was it his heart that knew that?

"Gaara–sama?"

His eyes snapped up to look at Matsuri and even though he knew it wasn't entirely her fault, he couldn't help but feel angry. No, Gaara was furious. _Livid. _He hadn't felt so angry in a _long _time. She had taken advantage of his emotional instability, had moved in when his guards were completely lowered and his exhaustion obvious. Now that he thought about it, this was entirely Matsuri's fault! "What the hell are you playing at?" he practically roared, slamming his hands against the wall on each side of her head, glaring down at Matsuri. "You know that I am engaged to Sakura!"

"You don't love her, Gaara–sama!" Matsuri whimpered, shrinking back against the wall and squeezing her eyes shut. Sakura would never have done that. She would have stood up straighter until she was right in his face, yelling right back at him. "You're not happy with her! I can give you what you want!"

The sound of his fist connecting with the wall had her eyes snapping open, staring up at the redhead with wide, terrified eyes. She had never seen him so angry before! "Do _not_ act like you know me." his eyes were shut and his voice was low, the sound of it sending a shiver up her spine. But it wasn't the shiver she had always wanted. It was of fear, not pleasure. "Even if I didn't love her, I would never love such a child who plays foolish games!" then, his eyes snapped open, like he had just had an idea. "How long?"

Matsuri actually _trembled_ at the new anger in his tone. It didn't even sound like her boss anymore! "W–What?"

"_How long_ have you been trying to destroy my relationship with Sakura?" he spat and it took everything in him not to wrap his hands around her throat. Had everything Sakura had ever told him about Matsuri been true? Was this… this _girl_ the reason why Sakura had left him?

She wanted to disappear. Into the wall, into the ground… wherever. Matsuri just wanted to be anywhere but here. Even her tears seemed to have no affect on Gaara. So, with a strained, quiet voice, she mumbled, "…Since I met you."

Gaara pushed away from the wall, one of his hands going up into his hair as he tugged on it, as his eyes widened with shock, disbelief and anger. Sakura… She had been telling the truth! She hadn't been paranoid. Everything she had warned him about, everything that she had said Matsuri had done, all the horrible things Matsuri had said to her… it was all the truth. And he hadn't believed her. Oh how he felt sick! Sakura had put her full trust in him yet he… Oh God.

"G–Gaara–sama… I–"

"You're fired." he muttered, still staring down at the ground with wide eyes.

The door opened, but Gaara didn't look up as his siblings entered the office at a hurried pace, only to pause when they noticed the dishevelled appearances of their brother and Matsuri. But not only that, they also paused at the horrified look on Gaara's face. It looked like he had gone into shock!

She couldn't stop the tears that filled her eyes. "Gaara–sama! Please, I'm s–sorry!"

"_Get out_!" even Kankuro jumped at the volume of Gaara's voice. "You've ruined _everything_! I was going to marry her, spend the rest of my life with her but you _fucked everything up_!"

A certain memory, a certain warning, flashed in Matsuri's mind. "_But believe me, the moment he finds out Sakura is telling the truth, the moment he finds out that you've been screwing with her head, Gaara is going to slaughter you_."

At the time, she had thought Yamanaka Ino had been exaggerating.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

Kankuro quickly jumped into action when Gaara stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he pushed Gaara back slightly. A grunt of pain escaped him as his younger brother grabbed his shoulders, trying to shove him out of the way, but Kankuro stood strong and gritted his teeth, forcing all of his weight onto Gaara and making him stumble back a step or two.

"Matsuri." Temari snapped, immediately gaining the brunette's attention. "What the hell have you done?"

"I–I didn't…" she whimpered, leaning back into the wall when she saw Gaara's livid expression. It was like he was possessed! "mean… for anything bad to happen!"

Kankuro finally managed to knock Gaara off balance and when he did, he quickly restrained his younger brother, sighing as he noticed that it certainly wasn't as easy as it used to be. Whenever Gaara… No. It had never been this bad when Gaara had snapped. No matter how angry he got, he had never looked at anybody the way he was currently glaring at Matsuri – not even their father. Actually, yes he had. Gaara was looking at Matsuri almost exactly how he had looked at Yashamaru. He looked like he wanted to rip her to pieces.

"Oi, Gaara! Get a hold of yourself. You can't attack employees!"

His eyes slowly moved to Kankuro's face and the older brother was surprised to find the pained look in them, making Gaara look as though he was about to cry. It made him swallow hard. It killed him inside seeing that look in his brother's eyes! "…Sakura is gone… because of Matsuri. Everything she had ever said about her has been true."

Temari's head snapped from her youngest brother's face to Matsuri's. "I'm not even going to bother asking if Gaara is telling the truth, because my brother has never lied to us before." she took a step forward, pinning the brunette in place with her glare. "But I am going to ask you one thing and you had better tell me the truth."

The fierce look in her teal eyes had Matsuri's knees shaking. "W–What?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering if asking such a thing with Gaara around would be wise, but Temari had to know. "The day Sakura's father died," she noticed out of the corner of her eye once they had opened again how Kankuro strengthened his stance when Gaara tensed, "did you really tell her that Gaara was busy? I can remember that day clearly and except for paperwork, Gaara had not been busy at all."

When Matsuri didn't answer, Gaara snapped. "_Answer her_! Did you really keep the news of Kazashi's death from me?"

"…I did."

Kankuro grunted as Gaara thrashed, trying to break out of his hold. "Temari, get her out of here! We'll send her stuff later."

"Can you handle him by yourself, Kankuro? Gaara has never been this angry before, not even–"

"Just _get out_!"

"I–I'm sorry!" Matsuri cried as Temari shoved her out of the room.

Temari simply shook her head, feeling disappointed in the girl, but not only that, but she felt guilty too. Not so long ago, she had promised Gaara that she would do whatever it took to help him help Sakura. Temari gritted her teeth as she walked towards the elevator, her hold on Matsuri's arm tightening. All this time, she had thought that it had been Sakura's illness making her paranoid, but she had been telling the truth! And now… now it might be too late for Gaara to try and save his relationship with the pink haired woman, with the woman he loved.

Even when they were out of the elevator and downstairs, Temari didn't release her hold. Matsuri should be grateful that she didn't do anything worse than hold her roughly!

"Temari!"

Looking over her shoulder, Temari shook her head. "Not now, Shikamaru. I'm sorry, but–"

"What's happened?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing at the fierce look in her teal eyes. By the looks of things, it was serious. Shikamaru had never seen Temari look so angry before.

Again, she shook her head, but this time, Temari also bit down on her lip. "Sakura…"

"What about Sakura?" Shikamaru's voice had hardened now.

"She had been telling the truth." Temari told him. "Everything she told us had been the truth. Matsuri tried destroying her and Gaara's relationship and has purposely been messing with her head."

Matsuri flinched.

It was incredibly rare for Shikamaru to lose control, to show so much anger.

* * *

><p>"She's gone." Gaara whispered, looking down at his hands. "Sakura's gone… because I betrayed her."<p>

Kankuro looked down at his brother sadly. "You didn't betray her, Gaara."

He simply shut his eyes and shook his head. "I was going to have sex with Matsuri." when he was met by stunned silence, Gaara opened his eyes, looking blankly down at the ground with his emotionless mask back in place. "I was supposed to believe her, yet whenever she tried to tell me things that Matsuri had done, whenever she had tried to warn me of her attempts at destroying our relationship," his fists squeezed closed, but that was the only sign of his anger, "…I just thought she was being paranoid. I didn't believe her."

It hadn't taken too long to knock some sense into his younger brother. All Kankuro had to do was mutter a few carefully chosen words, reminding him of all he had worked for and the things he still had to fight for. Once he had calmed down, Kankuro had guided him over to the sofa and gotten him a glass of water, though it went ignored.

"So many people tried to warn me." Gaara shook his head as it dropped into his hands. "I didn't believe a single one of them. Not entirely, anyway."

"You can't blame yourself for that." Kankuro sighed and sat down next to him. "Matsuri seemed like such a nice girl, you know? Sure, there was the odd remark that sounded bitter, but nothing more. At least not around me. I just thought she liked working hard and making a good impression." he gave a shrug, leaning back. "The crush on you was ridiculously obvious, but I never thought she'd attack Sakura like that."

His head snapped up. "Attack?"

"Verbally." Kankuro quickly corrected himself, noticing the anger growing in Gaara. It dissipated at his correction. "C'mon, Gaara." he chuckled. "Matsuri wouldn't stand a chance if Sakura got violent! You've seen her fight."

That was true, but given how weakened she was earlier… "If Matsuri had physically attacked her recently, Sakura would not have won. She is weak right now, Kankuro. Not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally." Completely drained. "You didn't see her earlier, when they were trying to get her into the police car. Sakura couldn't even fight back!" It had almost crushed him seeing her so weak, so defenceless. Where was his Sakura? "Previously, she would have handled them by herself with no problems. Tsunade taught her how to fight, after all. Right now, however, she is too weak."

The brunet glanced down at his hands, remembering the time when Sakura had restrained him with little to no trouble. Not only was she freakishly strong, but she was also fast. That was the thing you had to look out for the most. No, actually, it was her size. She could slip by you without you even noticing – not until it was too late, anyway. If Sakura got the upper hand, chances were, you weren't getting it back. You were done for unless you had back up to take her by surprise.

If she was weakened that much, what did that mean? Kankuro narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in Gaara's direction. "Is she not eating or exercising?"

He shook his head. "No. Itachi told me that she has no time for exercising and even though he treated her to breakfast earlier today, she did not eat much of it – if any at all."

"Look, I know you don't want to hear any of this," Kankuro sighed again, "but last night at the club, she was a total mess, Gaara. Falling over everywhere, almost getting into fights against groups of other people. Sakura's just… She's not being Sakura. Not the Sakura we've got to know, anyway." his brother nodded silently. "I think it was around four in the morning, maybe five, when I finally took her to Ino's. She kept fighting with me and arguing."

Gaara frowned. "Sakura was out drinking alone?" What if something had happened to her? What if Kankuro hadn't been there and somebody had taken advantage of her? Oh God it made his stomach twist viciously. "You didn't see anybody with her?"

Looking deep in thought, Kankuro tried his best to remember everything about the night before. It wasn't too difficult. After spotting Sakura and knowing for a fact that she wasn't supposed to be drinking, he had stopped drinking and kept an eye on her, choosing soft drinks instead. His friends had abandoned him one point in the night, saying he was 'being a bore', but they didn't know why Kankuro was watching Sakura so closely. Many times, he had had to get up and make guys leave her alone. Hell, she had even had women approaching her at one point! However, Kankuro had found nothing arousing about the women attempting to feel her up.

Sakura hadn't even known she was being touched.

That was when Kankuro had decided that enough was enough and dragged her out of that overcrowded club despite her protests, arguing with the bouncer and many others when they tried to stop him. They had thought he was kidnapping her! It had made him so angry and usually, Kankuro did not lose his temper so easily. Since Gaara had calmed down, he liked to think that he had, too. He wasn't on guard as much anymore. Anyway, back to his story! Kankuro had told him that he was her brother–in–law and that if they didn't believe him, then all they had to do was search Sabaku Gaara and Sabaku Kankuro online as well as look at his i.d card. With Gaara's name, came hundreds of pictures of him and Sakura together, although there hadn't been any new ones recently (obviously).

Once realising that he was in fact telling the truth and wasn't planning on abusing her, the bouncer allowed Kankuro to take Sakura home.

"No." his frown deepened. "If anybody was with Sakura, they were gone by the time I saw her." Oh, that reminded him! "Oi, did you see Sakura's wrists today when you were with her?"

Immediately, Gaara tensed. "Her wrists? Why?"

"She had them covered last night, but not with bracelets or makeup." Kankuro told him, his brow furrowing in confusion. "She had this stuff around it – gauze or bandages or something. Plastic as well, I think."

That was odd. Gaara frowned again. "No, I didn't see her wrists today. She was wearing a jacket." A jacket that had been much too big for her. It was most likely Itachi's, or considering how she had been at Ino and Sai's, it was probably one of Sai's jackets. It didn't bother Gaara that Sakura was wearing either Sai or Itachi's clothing. They didn't have any interest in her romantically just like she had none in them.

"I wonder what that's about?" the older brother asked quietly before asking almost hesitantly, "You don't think she…?"

"No." Gaara's reply was immediate, the words sharp. "Sakura would not harm herself."

Despite his words, Gaara wasn't entirely sure.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

He hoped she hadn't harmed herself.

"You should probably go home and rest, Gaara." Kankuro spoke, patting his shoulder in a brotherly gesture as he stood up. "You look exhausted."

The last thing he wanted was to go back to an empty condo.

"That's an order, Gaara." a different voice spoke up, making his eyes narrow on Temari as she placed a hand on her hip. Behind her was Shikamaru, who sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We'll take care of things here. Go home."

* * *

><p>Sakura stared blankly at her reflection and, for the first time in a long time, her eyes locked onto her own. What she saw had her insides burning. Her eyes… they were the eyes of a victim. They were the eyes of somebody who was weak, pathetic and disgusting. And that was when the self–loathing entered her eyes, making her breath catch. Sakura had always hated parts of herself, but she had never thought it was <em>that much<em>.

The sound of the front door opening had her tensing, had her quickly turning around to face the door.

As Gaara entered and threw down his jacket, rubbing his hand tiredly over his face and into his hair, she felt something in her want to reach out to him. He looked so tired and stressed…

It was when she took a step forward that he noticed her, his eyes snapping straight to hers. Sakura tried her hardest to ignore the look of guilt and regret in his eyes. It was her fault that they were in this mess in the first place.

"Sakura?" he spoke quietly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You're home?"

"Gaara, I am _so_ sorry for the way I've been acting. I didn't–"

"Matsuri kissed me."

Silence.

There were no sounds besides their breathing as they stared at each other, one with tears in their eyes and a quivering bottom lip, whilst the other looked worn out and sad. It felt like hours passed, but was actually only five minutes later when the conversation continued.

It felt like her heart was being shredded, like somebody had reached right into her chest and was tearing her heart to pieces. "W–What?"

Gaara's eyes filled with even more sadness and guilt as he watched Sakura press a hand over her heart as though in pain (just like he had as a child when his family would ignore him, when he thought that everybody hated him) whilst a look of fear, betrayal and despair flashed over her features. No matter how badly Gaara wanted to look away, he couldn't. "Today, in my office shortly after returning, Matsuri kissed me… and… it… it almost led to sex."

Finally, Sakura's tears started to fall, slipping down her cheeks silently before falling to the wooden floor, making little dripping sounds. It may have seemed a little over dramatic for her to cry over just a kiss, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Gaara had kissed somebody, or had been kissed… whatever. Wait. Did Gaara just say that they had almost had sex? Her mind was spinning too fast for her to even think straight.

"And?"

He frowned. "And what?"

Like the masochist she was, Sakura looked him dead in the eye, waited for her vision to clear, before asking, "Did you like it?"

To her question, his frown deepened. Of course he didn't like it! "She wasn't you."

"She's not me?" Sakura repeated slowly before anger settled on her features. "Does that mean that she was better? Did the fact that she _wasn't me_ make it more pleasurable? Did you like it better than when we did those things? Because she's not some messed up _whore_ who has problems, _do you prefer her_?"

Too stunned by her sudden outburst, Gaara could only watch in a mixture of shock and horror as Sakura whirled around and smashed her fist into the large mirror behind her, not missing the look of self–loathing that had been in her eyes before she did it.

"Sakura, stop it!" he snapped out of his trance quickly.

It wasn't the first time that Sakura had heard Gaara yell, but she was too wound up to take notice of the difference in his voice or how strange it was to hear his usually quiet voice so loud.

Falling to the ground, Sakura clutched her bloody hand to her chest as she cried. It felt as though everything was jumping on her all at once, like she couldn't even catch a break before something else went wrong for her. It felt like everything was underwater again and she was watching everyone breathe easily whilst she was drowning, trying desperately to get their attention, to get them to _help her_. But nobody was listening to her. Nobody even spared her a second glance.

"I–I'm sorry." Sakura sobbed as she squeezed her eyes shut, not sure on whether she wanted to push Gaara away as he knelt down beside her or to pull him closer. "I don't… I don't know what to do. I want to hit you, but I don't want to lose you. _Gaara_," she looked into his eyes almost desperately, "I can't lose you. I love you so much."

Sighing, Gaara helped Sakura to her feet before pulling her into the bathroom and going through the middle cabinet under the sink to find a first aid kit. As he worked on cleaning the gash on her hand, he spoke quietly, yet seriously. "I fired Matsuri, Sakura." when she gasped, he continued. "I discovered that she had in fact kept the information of your father's passing from me, as well as your phone calls. I'm sorry for doubting you, but you have to try and control your anger and other emotions. You cannot simply turn up to the place where I work and attack my employees." A bit hypocritical of him, yes, but he had to make her understand.

Once done, Gaara went to open Sakura's cabinet to get her something for the pain, only to have her quickly catch his hand. When he looked at her with confusion, she only smiled and tried to pull him away from the cabinet. His eyes narrowed. What did she not want him to see?

"Gaara, come on. Let's go and–"

"What are you trying to hide?"

This time, it was Sakura's eyes that narrowed. They narrowed defensively. "Nothing."

Yanking his hand out of her hold, Gaara quickly opened the cabinet. It took him a moment to notice what was missing, but when he did, he could feel his anger growing. Yes, Sakura had taken a bottle with her when she left, but there should have been more. There should have been two bottles altogether, which would last her two months. "Where is your medication?"

Just as Sakura went to leave the bathroom and ignore him, Gaara grabbed her hips and pinned her against the counter.

"What do you think you're–"

"What have you done with your medication, Sakura?" Gaara demanded, his hold tightening as he kept her pinned.

"I got rid of them!" she screamed right in his face, her eyes filling with fresh tears. "I don't need them anymore! I just want to be normal. I wanted us to…" looking away from his furious eyes, she swallowed the hard lump in her throat and continued. "I wanted us to try and be a family. I w–wanted to make you… h–happy."

He couldn't deny the fact his chest was aching, how his throat was aching and his eyes were stinging. "You need help, Sakura." Gaara whispered and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make his voice any stronger. The sight of her tears falling only made the pain worse. "Professional help."

It made him only partly happy when she nodded quickly, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Gaara closed his eyes, but opened them again. He knew he had to make sure she knew he was being serious. Not only saying it, but completely serious. "You're not going to Konoha Psychiatric Ward." Gaara promised her, his hold tightening on her at the scared look in her eyes. "We'll find you somewhere nice, somewhere you can relax and…" he shook his head, unable to find the right words. In his mind it sounded so very much like he was trying to get rid of her. That was what the pain in his heart was telling him. It was telling him that it sounded like he was getting rid of her. "And then when you're feeling more like yourself, you can come back to me." Gaara told her softly, smiling ever so slightly at the happy look in her eyes. "When you do, we'll work on whatever problems we have. Together."

"Can…" Sakura bit her lip, glancing down at the ground for a moment before looking at him again. "Can we wait for a little while? I'll… I'll go today, but I just… I want to spend more time with you first."

"Of course." Gaara sighed, bringing her closer into a comforting embrace. "You're not going anywhere until we find you somewhere you _want_ to be. Until then, I'm not letting you leave my side for even a second." he gave a small smirk at the shaky chuckle she gave him. "We've been parted for far too long."

It only vaguely registered in both of their minds that they weren't interested in anything sexual. They simply wanted to be together. Holding each other. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that it had both of their heads spinning and not only Sakura's. The pressure, the pain, was unbelievable and Gaara couldn't believe that the woman he loved had been trying to handle it all by herself.

She was so strong.

He was determined to help her again. Just like he had a year ago, when they had still been in school. It was going to be a long and difficult road to recovery and there were certain things she would never recover from, but Gaara was determined to help her. He would be there in whatever way he could be. He would earn her forgiveness for his wrongs, no matter how long it took.

"I love you."

Gaara smiled softly at her words, feeling so very grateful that she would be hearing him out. He'd been worried, no, he'd been utterly terrified that his mistake would end their relationship for good. "I love you."

* * *

><p>"What about this place?" Gaara asked quietly, showing Sakura a rehabilitation centre. "You can even continue with your studies there if you can afford a private tutor." Which they could. "Thirty days is the minimum amount of time spent there and they also welcome those who are suffering with mental disorders as long as they are not too extreme."<p>

She frowned, biting her lip. It _did_ sound good, but thirty days was a long time.

Noticing the look in her eyes, Gaara gave her a gentle smile and reached out for her left hand, entwining their fingers. "I will wait for you, Sakura. Like I said before, we will get through this together."

"The funerals…"

His eyes saddened. Sakura was probably thinking that she would miss her parents' funerals and there was no gentle way to explain to her what was happening. No matter how hard he tried, Gaara just could not find words that would not seem so harsh or professional. "Their bodies are not being released just yet, Sakura." he stated, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "Shisui confirmed it earlier to Itachi. They wish to give more thorough autopsies."

The shock on her face, the pain, had his heart clenching. "My dad…?"

He sighed. It seemed nobody had informed Sakura of the news. "His death is being considered as suspicious."

"H–How?" Sakura demanded, her eyebrows knitting together angrily. "He had a heart attack!"

"There are many poisons that can cause the symptoms of a heart attack." he replied patiently, understanding her anger and the fact that she may not possibly understand what he was trying to tell her. That wouldn't be surprising. Denial was always a part of the 'healing process' – or so one of Sakura's psychology books had once stated. "Also, that is not taking into account that you were sent a letter soon after."

In his hand, Sakura's began shaking and he watched as certain muscles in her body tensed, as her throat tightened as though she was trying to swallow. She was craving a drink. Yes, Sakura had told him all about her new – well, hardly new since she had been rather dependent on alcohol before – dependency on alcohol. Just earlier, not even an hour ago, her hand had been trembling so badly that it brought her to tears, because Sakura had been trying to write her name onto a form that needed her signature.

Frowning in confusion, it took Sakura a couple of moments to remember what he was talking about, but once she had her eyes were wide and her face deathly pale. "Ao nearly died!" she breathed, tears filling her eyes. "There was a snake… It… It went to bite his neck…"

Gaara soothed her silently and pulled her closer, his heart feeling a little lighter because of the fact that he could do so. "It will take a lot to bring Ao down." he comforted her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Knowing him, he would have been preparing to pounce right at the last second. You know he enjoys sneak attacks more than any other."

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle, remembering the times when Ao had sneaked up on Gaara before pouncing. Sounded impossible due to how big he was, but if you weren't expecting him and were lost in your thoughts, then you'd be in for a scare. Ao loved making Gaara jump, as it was rare for such a thing to happen. No matter how hard she tried, Sakura just couldn't scare him! But Ao could and he did so proudly.

"Gaara, while I'm gone…"

She didn't even need to finish her sentence for him to know what she was asking. He smiled. "I will collect Ao and bring him home."

Honestly, Gaara hadn't only missed Sakura. He'd missed Ao as well. This was just as much the dog's home as it was theirs. It would make the separation more bearable if Gaara had Ao staying in the condo with him. At least that way it wouldn't be so lonely.

"You can't leave him alone, Gaara." Sakura told him suddenly, kneeling up by his side. "Your work schedule is crazy – he can't be alone for so long. And you need to remember to feed him twice a day! Little scraps from your plate is okay, too, just nothing that will upset his stomach. I don't like it when he's ill. He looks so sad and lost. Oh! And you have to take him out as many times as you can. Sure, he can go to the bathroom on the balcony as long as you clean–"

"Sakura," Gaara smiled and brought her closer, loving how she was so very accepting of him once more, "I already know all of this."

She sighed and pressed her forehead to his. "I know, I know. I'm just… He's been sad these past few weeks. Ao's really attached to you."

In a way, they felt like parents. Was that strange? Was it odd for them to feel like parents to a dog? Most likely. That didn't stop them from feeling that way, though. It didn't stop either of them from secretly thinking of Ao as their child. He was Sakura's best friend and understood her pain so well that it was heartbreaking, whilst he was also the reason Sakura was still alive, meaning Gaara respected him greatly. He also considered Ao as his friend.

"It will be nice to have him home."

A bright smile was sent his way before Sakura kissed him chastely, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'm so sorry for leaving and causing you so much upset and stress." she whispered when they parted, pressing her forehead to his again. "I should have… stayed and_ not _push you away. We should've spoken–"

"What's done is done. It cannot be changed and we shouldn't focus so much on the past. What matters now is that you're home, Ao will be coming home and when you get out of rehab, we will both look after you." she nodded and he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "Things will go back to normal soon, Sakura."

Except for one thing. Her parents would no longer be there. They wouldn't be calling by every so often to check up on them both. Mebuki wouldn't be sneaking into the condo to make sure they had a fully stocked kitchen and their home was clean. Kazashi wouldn't be popping by to invite Gaara out for a manly game of poker and a few beers – even though Gaara did not like alcohol, he still enjoyed when they went out.

The pain in her eyes was so obvious that he hadn't even needed to look. "I will ask for them to hold onto your parents until you are out." he told her softly. "Then, it can be a joint funeral."

Together forever. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. Even though it sounded pleasant eternally being with your other half, it still hurt. It hurt so bad. They shouldn't be being buried. They should be going on their umpteenth honeymoon! Clearly, the man upstairs had other plans for her parents and despite Sakura not being all that religious, she hoped with all of her heart that they would both be allowed into heaven where they could stay together. They were nice people, so caring and selfless. They deserved nothing less than a perfect heaven and spending eternity together – like an eternal honeymoon.

"It still hasn't truly hit me." Sakura whispered. "I'm sad, but… I don't know. I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling." And it would only get worse from then, wouldn't it? Her lip trembled. "I'm scared for when it suddenly hits me that they're not coming back."

"I'll be here when it does." It sounded so cheesy and cliché in Gaara's mind, but the words were the truth. He _would_ be there for her. Every moment of every day.

Those words seemed to comfort her greatly as Sakura suddenly nodded and said, "That rehab… You said they'd be able to handle someone with mental illnesses there?"

He sat up straighter and shifted his laptop ever so slightly, angling it so that Sakura could see the screen more clearly. "Yes. They have specialists there and also, I can arrange for them to allow your sessions with Tsunade to continue – which then leads to continuing with your studies. I want you to keep doing what you do best, Sakura. So would your parents. They'd want you to keep to your studies, to work hard and achieve everything you want."

She swallowed hard and nodded once more. "…Yeah, they would."

For them. She would continue fighting for them.

Grabbing his laptop, Sakura picked it up and placed it down onto the coffee table before moving closer to him, surprising Gaara as she buried her face into his neck and held him tightly. Just as he was about to ask what was the matter, however, she began speaking.

"Before leaving… I know I'd been coming off as clingy…" Sakura whispered into the crook of Gaara's neck as he returned her hold. "I'm just scared. I love you and I'm scared that you might find somebody better than me. Somebody who isn't… who isn't as troubled or as… touched… as I am."

"Sakura–"

She shook her head softly and pulled back so that she was looking at him. "Just hear me out." Sakura told him quietly before clearing her throat. It was almost ridiculous how nervous she was with telling Gaara these things. "You promised you'd always be there for me and even though I'm not going to hold you to that," she glared at him when Gaara looked ready to argue, "Gaara, I'm a selfish person. I'm not going to let you go so easily, not after everything we've been through together.

"You've helped me through some really dark times and even when I'm the moodiest person in the world, you still stand by me." tears filled her eyes, but Sakura pushed them away. "I'm scared of losing you as my fiancé, but I'm even more scared of losing our friendship. I don't want to lose you, I can't." she closed her eyes, sighing. "I get jealous of the little things because it was the same little things that got us to where we are today."

Gaara pulled Sakura against him, not even giving her the time to look up at him as he pressed a tender kiss to her temple, breathing deeply once he had. "Nothing has ever been 'little' between us. If it had been, I would probably still be the same person I was in high school."

Nodding quickly and biting her lip, Sakura tried to ignore the pounding of her heart, the shaking of her hands. Whether it was because she needed another drink or because of how scared she was, she'd never know.

"There's something you need to see." she whispered, her heart thundering away in her chest as she once again sat up, tugging on the ends of her shirt.

Gaara felt his entire body tense, felt his heart ache terribly. This was what Kankuro had been talking about. Had Sakura harmed herself? Before he could even realise what he was doing, Gaara was gently taking her hands in his, slowly slipping the right sleeve up, only for shock to replace his growing unease.

"You covered your scar." he stated blankly.

"Both of them." Sakura's voice was still a whisper and noticing the pain in her voice, the fear in her body language, his eyes narrowed a fraction. "I was… I was drunk when I got them done – it's no excuse, but I don't even remember it. All I can remember is waking up a–and seeing them and–"

Strong. That was what the kanji on her right wrist read.

Gaara couldn't even deny that his hands shook ever so slightly as he lifted the other sleeve, forcing Sakura to cut herself off.

Love.

Sakura had the kanji for love on her wrist, just like he had it on his forehead.

He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.

Unlike how his was red (Gaara didn't know how the hell that had happened, as it certainly wasn't a tattoo and was in fact a scar), hers was black. Altogether, if you put her wrists side by side as he currently was, it read 'strong love'. Strong love. Their love definitely was strong. And in his eyes, despite everything, Sakura was also strong and so very full of love. He simply… How was Gaara supposed to respond to that?

"I'm so sorry." Sakura told him, her voice sounding slightly whiny due to her trying desperately to hold back her sobs. "I'm so, _so_ sorry!"

"No." Gaara frowned, stopping her as Sakura attempted to pull her hands back to herself and cover her wrists. "I'm… I'm not sure how to feel about this but…" he paused. "I don't hate it."

"Y–You don't?"

"No."

"Why?"

A small smile pulled at his lips for a moment. "It has meaning. I don't know what made you choose _that_ kanji, but it has meaning. Stop worrying so much," Gaara gave her another small smile and pulled her closer, kissing her softly, "I'm not angry. Maybe a little shocked, but not angry or upset."

He had no right to be angry with her after what he had done.

Burying her face into his shoulder, Sakura breathed in shakily, his scent relaxing her. "I thought… I thought you'd hate me." his silence told her to continue. "I thought… No, I _know_ that doing this tramples on how much your scar…" she shook her head. "I was so worried…"

"Calm down, Sakura." Gaara sighed, running his hand through her hair softly. "I am not angry with you and I certainly don't hate you." he paused for a moment, glancing down at the tattoos once more. "You are supposed to apply some sort of cream to those, by the way."

She frowned and pulled back. "Huh?"

"To stop the tattoos from tightening and also to prevent itching. You are supposed to apply a cream to them. Did you not get any from the tattoo artist?"

Thinking back to the night before was difficult and once she had, Sakura paled. "Oh shit."

"What is it?"

"I forgot about Moegi!"

Moegi? Who–

Gaara deadpanned. "You went out drinking with a child?"

It made her feel like such a terrible person, especially with how his voice sounded. It was filled with obvious disapproval. "I–I know I shouldn't have." Sakura told him, though said it as she got up and made her way over to her handbag. It took her a couple of moments to find her phone and once she had, she quickly scrolled through her contacts for Moegi's name. "She was the only one who didn't know."

Whilst that may be true, it definitely did not make it right. "Call her and make sure she got home safely."

She felt like a scolded child. "I am!" she snapped in reply, pressing the name and holding the phone to her ear.

It rang several times.

"_Moshi, moshi_." a tired voice groaned on the other end, making Sakura sigh with relief.

"Moegi! You're okay? You got home okay, didn't you?"

"_Yeah, yeah._" she mumbled. "_Just remind me never to try and take you on in a drinking competition again. My head is killing me!"_

Drinking competition? "I take it I won?" Sakura smirked, sitting down beside Gaara once more. "You should drink plenty of water and try to eat something."

Another groan. "_Don't. I've only just managed to stop being sick_."

Yeah, Sakura had been that way when she first started drinking. Every morning afterwards, the hangover was dreadful and almost enough to put her off of drinking altogether. Over time it got easier to handle, though. No longer did Sakura spend entire days recovering and throwing up repeatedly. No, she recovered from hangovers fairly quickly as long as she ate something before starting to sober up.

"Sleep it off, then." Sakura told her sympathetically.

"_Already on it_." she mumbled tiredly, yawning a second later. "_I'll text you later. I need to sleep_."

Smirking, Sakura shook her head. "Okay. Make sure you don't go eating any greasy double cheeseburgers with extra cheese and onions."

A groan. "_I fucking hate you_."

With that, Moegi hung up.

Locking her phone, she placed it down onto the coffee table beside Gaara's laptop. "I need you to do me a favour." when Gaara's curious expression met her, she sighed. "I need you to reply to any texts from Moegi that I get tonight."

He raised a brow. "You're ready for rehab?"

"You'll be waiting when I get out?"

It pained him how it was a question, like she was doubting him. Gaara knew that he deserved it, though, and it only made him more determined to earn back her trust. "Always."

"I'm ready." Sakura whispered to him though her hold on Gaara said otherwise.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, Shisui–taichou?"<p>

"You will be going undercover."

The brunet looked up, his eyes narrowing a fraction. It had been a while since his last undercover mission, although that certainly didn't mean that his skills were rusty or lacking. No, he was smart enough to keep them sharp and refined. "Undercover?"

Shisui nodded once, turning away from the window and facing him with his usual, empty expression. "Last night, a nineteen year old woman, Haruno Sakura, was admitted into a rehab facility. This morning her fiancé, Sabaku Gaara, thought it would be best to give me this information – and I agree with him. However, I want you to go to that rehab facility undercover and watch over Sakura."

His dark eyes narrowed further. "If I may, taichou, but isn't this girl a personal fr–"

"That does not matter." There was no change in his voice, but the hardening of Uchiha Shisui's eyes would be enough to scare even the toughest of guys at the station. It meant he was deadly serious and you were not to question him. "Tell me, Tenzo–san, how many times have I been wrong when following my gut instinct?"

It took everything to hide his grimace. "Never, taichou."

He nodded once, raising his eyebrow a fraction. "And tell me if I'm wrong, but in our line of work, we must always follow our gut instinct, correct?"

"Correct, taichou."

Again, Shisui nodded, not seeming to notice that he was intimidating one of the least likely to be scared, so easily. Nothing scared Tenzo – he scared others. With just a single look, he could have the other men cowering in fear and squirming with unease. To be able to intimidate the man was no easy feat, yet Shisui could do it effortlessly. "You are the only one in our force that Sakura will not recognise, giving that you are always undercover or working in the shadows and only transferred here a year ago."

Tenzo nodded once, though paused for a second before asking, "What does your gut instinct tell you, taichou?"

"It tells me that Haruno Sakura is in danger." he stated simply, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the side of his desk. He was gazing out of the window, but Tenzo was certain that it was so he couldn't see the Uchiha's expression. "Haruno Mebuki, before her death, had been writing a message on the door of her bathroom, telling whoever found it that they must '_Save Sakura_', so clearly whoever attacked Sakura's mother, had made some sort of warning, or given some message, that they would soon be coming after Sakura."

No matter how badly he tried to hide it, Tenzo noticed the way Shisui's fists clenched at the mentioning of Haruno Mebuki's death. It made him wonder how close the families were, as nobody really saw any other side of Uchiha Shisui than the cold, calculating captain who was always fiercely in control of his emotions. "Her mother's death–"

There was a split second where Shisui's teeth gritted, but not even a fraction of a second later and he was back to his emotionless mask. "Was at the hands of one of Orochimaru's lackeys." he noticed Tenzo tense and Shisui nodded once. "And so you see why we must protect Sakura."

Now he could remember everything. All of the news reports, the trials, the searches. Tenzo could remember everything so clearly that it made him burn with anger, made him see red. A young, innocent girl had been sexually assaulted in the woods opposite her home, but no, that wasn't enough for those vile bastards. They had then gone on to holding the poor girl hostage, forcing her into prostitution and pumping her body with drugs, supplying her with so much alcohol that she began blacking out. But still. _That was not enough_. They came back for her. Broke into her home. Once again held her and several others hostage. They had shot a boy, Sabaku Gaara, who had attempted to save her – an act of bravery that would never be forgotten by Tenzo, for it took a lot to jump in front of a bullet for somebody.

"I understand." Tenzo nodded once more, straightening up and giving his taichou a serious look. "I will protect Haruno Sakura, Shisui–taichou."

And it seemed like his captain aged five years in a single look as he glanced over at Tenzo. "Thank you." He couldn't stand to lose anyone else. "Here are her files and everything you need to know about Sakura. Just know that if she suspects anything, back off, because she _will_ lash out." Many times Shisui had been on the receiving end of her violence and sometimes, her glares and words were just as harsh. "The head of the clinic knows that you will be undercover, but everyone else will not. Keep it that way."

His eyes narrowed as he skimmed through the must–knows after accepting the folder from Shisui. "I may be speaking out of place, but–"

Already knowing what he was about to say, Shisui cut Tenzo off. "The last time Sakura was admitted to Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, it traumatised her. Tsunade–sama suggested that this would be best for Sakura and Gaara–kun has made sure to take her to the best place he could find, whilst keeping her as close to home as possible."

"Traumatised? But don't patients go there to receive help, to get better?"

Shisui sighed and moved around his desk, sitting down. "When Sakura was last there, she kept the fact that she was raped a secret. It shouldn't have made much of a difference in her treatment, but it did. I was informed that if Sakura had spoken up sooner, the way they treated her for her suicidal tendencies and wishing to harm herself would have been different."

Once again, his eyes were narrowing. "Different? How so? I'm no expert in psychiatry or psychology, but surely there isn't that much of a difference to make her experience there traumatising?"

"Solitary confinement. Tying her down. Keeping watch over her _whilst_ she was tied down. Daily body searches." Tenzo's eyes widened a fraction. "Sakura is a very sociable girl – woman, now – and has always disliked and feared being alone. The solitary confinement was what traumatised her the most. And I'm sure I don't have to explain why being tied down with people watching her as well as daily body searches, scared her."

He shook his head. Honestly, Tenzo thought the girl was unbelievably brave for going through that without saying a word – but then again, he didn't know her yet. He hadn't been there to witness her reactions. He had yet to read through her files. Both personal and medical files. The one about her time in Konoha Psychiatric Hospital was the thickest of them all. At least an inch thick. Never mind. If, by doing this, he managed to save the young girl of experiencing any more suffering or pain, then he'd do it.

"I will read through her files tonight." Tenzo nodded once more. "Where is she staying and when do I start?"

"Everything you need to know will be inside of that folder." the captain gave him a serious look, one that practically screamed that he was to keep every piece of information to himself as well as where Sakura was staying. "And you start immediately. You may not need it, but there is a picture of Haruno Sakura with her friends in that file. If anyone other than those on that picture attempt to get in touch with her, do not allow it and tell me immediately."

Again, Tenzo nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Thought you all deserved this chapter!**


	16. Yamato

**Chapter 16 – Yamato**

It wasn't too bad here, she supposed, looking around the lounge area.

It was surprisingly open and bright – nothing like the hospital. That had actually been the first thing Sakura commented on to Gaara when he dropped her off and signed the papers. Instead of dull whites and greys, this place had beautiful sky blues and relaxing creams. There was carpet! Not the cheap, scratchy kind that started to smell after a short while, but the nice kind. It looked like it would be heaven to her feet.

She sighed and leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa. Despite how calming and relaxing this place was, Sakura had been unable to sleep the night before and her body was aching from lack of alcohol. Detoxing was always a nasty phase, thankfully, however, this was nowhere near as bad as what it could have been. The reason behind her not sleeping wasn't only because of no alcohol, but also because of sleeping alone. Sakura hadn't done that in a long while. She either had Gaara or Ao sleeping beside her. In this place, she had neither of them. It was difficult to get used to that feeling of sleeping alone.

The scenery out of the large window she was looking out of was beautiful. Behind the rehab centre was a beautiful forest that was bursting with life and colour. It didn't bring back awful memories like the woods opposite her family home. It made Sakura feel free and at peace, whilst those woods made her feel trapped.

Parting with Gaara had been difficult. After being separated for so long, it hurt parting from him once more. However, the promise he made to her, of waiting until she got out of rehab, kept Sakura strong. It made her determined to get through the pain and the sleepless nights. That way, the sooner she got better, the sooner she could go home to her boys, her protectors. Gaara and Ao.

The sound of the door opening had Sakura glancing over her shoulder, wondering who would be up at such a time. It was one of the workers. It was only around half five in the morning. Whilst at other rehab centres where you had to be in bed by a certain time, this one allowed you to wander around within limits.

He was nothing special, she decided after a moment and turned back to the scenery, finding it more interested. He had the sort of face that was easy to forget as it was average. Everything about him was average, actually. Short, spiky brown hair, dark eyes, olive toned complexion.

"Haruno Sakura?"

So he had sought her out? "Yes?"

Seeing that she would not be turning away from the sight before her, the man moved around the large sofa and sat across from her, giving a smile. "Sorry for interrupting you, but I was informed that you could not sleep last night?"

"Mm."

"Well, since I am naturally an early riser, I thought I would come and get to know you better."

Finally, Sakura looked over at him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously and warily. "Get to know me?"

"Yes. Like what your likes and dislikes are. Things such as those."

Her likes and dislikes? That was a tough question. There were a lot of things that Sakura enjoyed and many more that she disliked. "Music." she answered after a pause. "It helps me relax. And difficult puzzles. They confuse me and often frustrate me, but they take my mind off of everything else. My dislikes are…" she shrugged, not really in the mood to tell him her fears. That was basically all her dislikes were. Her fears. "And yours? Uh…"

The brunet smiled and gave a single chuckle. "That's right. I forgot to tell you my name, didn't I? Sorry about that. My name's Yamato. Aside from your personal psychiatrist, which is Tsunade–sama I believe, I will be your personal nurse. If you need anything, you are to come straight to me."

Yamato. That was a name she'd never heard before. Sakura doubted that she'd hear it again, either.

"And where would I find you if it's an emergency?"

He paused for a moment, thinking. "I shouldn't be too far from you. Right now, you are my only patient."

Only patient? Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Why am I your only patient?"

"We're not very busy right now, are we?"

That was true… but it still made Sakura uncomfortable knowing that he only had one patient. Was he not qualified? Wasn't he skilled enough to take on more than one at a time? Was he new at this? Or was he only for her because of how many problems she had? Sakura sighed. She had to stop those paranoid thoughts.

"So, aside from music and puzzles, what else do you like?"

Not this again. She almost groaned. It felt like she was in school once more! "I like watching television shows and movies." Sakura shrugged, trying her best not to let her annoyance show. "And walking my dog."

Yamato gave her a smile. "A dog, huh? What's his name?"

She returned his smile, always feeling happy when she spoke about Ao. "Ao. He's a rottweiler and comes to about," Sakura stood up and lifted her hand to just above her hip, "here."

It pleased her greatly to see the stunned and impressed look on Yamato's face. "Ah, I think I know who you are talking about. He was on the news, was he not?" Sakura tensed, but nodded quickly and sat back down, shifting her blanket over herself. One of the night nurses had given it to her so that she wouldn't get cold. "Ao." Yamato said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I have definitely heard of him before! He saved you, didn't he?" again, Sakura nodded and noticing how uncomfortable she was, he gave her a gentle smile. "You're lucky to have a dog such as Ao, Sakura. He must love you dearly to be so protective of you."

His words brought a small smile to her lips, though with her next words, her smile slipped away. "He was abused by his previous owners and abandoned, left to die." It always pained her when Sakura thought back on the story of how Ao had ended up at the Inuzuka home. "Inuzuka Kiba found him one day, took him to his mother's kennels and brought him back to full health. But nobody wanted to adopt him. They all want cute little puppies." her eyebrows knitted together angrily, but soon smoothed out into a smile. "And then Kiba brought Ao to me, saying we'd be great companions because we're both victims of abuse. Since then, Ao and I have been inseparable." she paused. "Except for now. This is going to be the longest I've been away from him."

Another gentle smile was sent her way. "I am sure your fiancé will take good care of him."

Yes, Gaara would take good care of Ao. He'd most likely spoil the dog in his own way later on in the day, his own way of celebrating having him home. Sakura felt so guilty for taking Ao away from Gaara. It was, in a strange way, like taking a child from its father. It was a horrible feeling and Sakura hoped that that would never actually happen.

"Gaara–kun has made sure to keep this out of the press," Yamato told her suddenly, flipping a page in a notebook that she hadn't even seen, "to keep your treatment here private. It is to–"

"Make me feel more comfortable." Sakura smiled softly. That man…

God, she missed him.

"Exactly." the brunette nodded with a smile. "He also made sure to leave a list of emergency contacts and gave a list of names. Anyone other than those few cannot come and see you. Is this correct?"

Well, this was the first she was hearing about it. "Who's on the list?"

"Uh…" he blushed lightly. "You will have to bear with me." he chuckled, skimming over the notes that had been made. "I'm new to all of this. Until recently, I had been studying law."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. So he _was_ new to all of this. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Law? What made you change?"

Yamato shrugged and gave her a small smile. "Many things. I just think that I'd be able to do more good whilst working here, instead of defending a murderer or something of the sort in court." before Sakura could ask any more questions, he tapped the notebook. "Found it. The list consists of himself, Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke and Shisui, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino and Senju Tsunade."

What about Hinata? Sai? Kakashi? What about her other friends?

Seeing her confusion, he sighed. "There are certain rules here, Sakura. We usually don't allow visitors at all, since this a place where people come to be treated. Some believe that it is best to be treated in near–solitude," her eyes widened, "however, given your history, we decided that it would be best to go with Gaara–kun's idea, although only a certain amount of people were allowed on the list. He made sure to include everyone who knows you best."

"And… Do I have any visitors coming at all today?"

Nodding once, he gave her a smile. "Two, actually. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto! Oh it had been so long since Sakura had last seen him. Of course he had stopped by during the past couple of weeks, but the visits had always been rather short, as he was surprisingly busy. Doing what? Well, Naruto got the idea into his head that he wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen's job as headmaster of Konoha High. It was crazy, but who was she to judge? At least it was better than his last dream. Naruto had wanted to be partners with Teuchi, though would have settled working alongside of the man like his daughter, Ayame, did. Who was Teuchi? He was the ramen guy. He owned Ramen Ichiraku.

A smile brightened her features. She couldn't wait to see Naruto again! "What about Gaara?"

Yamato flipped another page. "Oh, you have four visitors today. Sorry about that – we really need bigger notebooks." he chuckled. "Yes, Gaara–kun will be coming to see you."

She frowned. "And the last visitor?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi! "Are they all at different times?"

He went back to the previous page, reading its contents quickly. "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto will be here at noon." Yamato once again turned the page. "Uchiha Itachi will be here at three, whilst Gaara–kun will be here at six."

So she could have visitors every three hours? Sakura made a mental note of that. When signing in, she hadn't been aware of the fact that she could actually have visitors. In movies that Sakura had watched, when the characters were in rehab, they weren't allowed any contact with the outside world until they left and were finished with their treatment. Yamato had stated something similar to that, too.

"Your fiancé also informed the clinic that you enjoy exercising." Sakura nodded. "We have a gym that is, personally speaking, one of the best I've seen in a while. Oh and there is a running track just in front of the forest, though Gaara–kun stated that you may not feel all too comfortable being near it. He said from a distance, you'll enjoy the view, but up close will bring you painful memories."

Gaara knew her so well. It made her feel so guilty for all of the pain and stress she had been causing these past weeks. "…Yeah."

There was no rolling of his eyes or some sly remark like Sakura's mind was telling her there would be. Instead, Yamato nodded understandingly and stood up. "Well, how about some early morning exercise? The cafeteria doesn't open until seven, although I believe we could talk the chef into sneaking us in early. You dislike overly large crowds, right?"

"It depends on my mood." she answered truthfully, standing up and folding the blanket she had been given carefully, making sure all corners matched up. Anything less was not acceptable. It had to be perfect. "If there is something to take my mind off of the crowds, I don't mind them. If there isn't, then…" Sakura shrugged and placed the blanket onto the back of the sofa.

"I understand." Yamato told her and with a gesture of his head, they left the lounge. "If you ever feel as though you're being overcrowded here, just tell me. I'm sure I can arrange for something more comfortable."

It didn't seem that bad so far, but then again, Sakura had arrived late last night.

Anything could happen in thirty days.

* * *

><p>"Man, that drive!"<p>

Sakura's eyes widened as she dropped her book and turned around, not sure if she should believe the sight before her, because right at that moment in time, Yamato was allowing Sasuke and Naruto entrance to the room.

"It wasn't that bad." Sasuke rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around warily. A second later, he spotted Sakura and made his way over to her, leaving Naruto behind. "Sakura."

"Sakura–chan!"

She didn't even have the time to stand up before Naruto suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around her tightly in a bear hug. Any oxygen that was in her lungs was squeezed out of her.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Careful, idiot."

It seemed to knock some sense into Naruto, as he immediately loosened his hold and stared down at her intensely. "You okay, Sakura–chan? You look all thin and ill and–"

"Don't even continue with that sentence!" she snapped in return, already knowing how terrible her appearance was. There was no makeup in rehab. No hair straighteners or dryers. To make matters worse, because of her lack of food and focusing all on drinking, Sakura's skin wasn't as soft and blemish–free as it usually was. "I know I look bad, okay?"

"You don't." Sasuke rolled his eyes again and looked over his shoulder suspiciously. "Is he your nurse?"

Sakura glanced over at Yamato, who was sitting quietly at a table and going over some type of file. Even though he looked as though he was focusing entirely on that file, it was obvious he was keeping an eye on the three of them. It was in the way he tensed ever so slightly at Sasuke's question.

"Yeah. His name is Yamato and he's my personal nurse here. A little like Tsunade–sama, I think." Sakura mumbled before sitting back down on the sofa, patting the space beside her. It was amusing seeing Naruto pushing Sasuke away just to sit next to her, although it had to be even funnier seeing the Uchiha grabbing the back of Naruto's shirt and tossing him to the ground, taking the seat without a word. "So–"

"How long are you here for?" Sasuke asked curiously, once more glancing around him.

He'd admit that yes, it was nice here and it seemed like a relaxing and peaceful place to be, but… He wasn't too sure on it. Something about the place made him uncomfortable. And that Yamato guy. Sasuke was certain he had seen him somewhere before! But where could he have seen him? Until today, Sasuke had never been here before – he'd never been to any rehab centre before!

It was Yamato who answered Sasuke's question, noticing how Sakura shrugged unsurely. "The minimum stay here is thirty days. How long Sakura will be staying here for depends on how well her treatment is going."

That voice. That face. It was all familiar to Sasuke but he just couldn't put his finger on why! "Yamato, right?" the brunet nodded once. "Have I seen you before?"

Unnoticeably, Yamato tensed but gave Sasuke a smile. "You may have, although I'm not too sure. Before this, I studied law. Have you ever been in court?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That was a stupid question, given the fact that he was Sakura's friend. Of course he had been in court! He was there throughout the entire trial. He was there the day they began, right through to the day when all of those bastards were finally sentenced. It was all over the news and they had all been photographed entering and leaving the courts many times.

However, noticing a certain look in those dark eyes, noticing a faint tap against a file, Sasuke's features emptied. His fingers were bent slightly. That was a hand sign for something. He thought back, remembering everything Itachi had taught him and once he remembered, it took a lot for Sasuke not to show his shock.

Yamato was undercover.

Shisui. This had Shisui all over it.

Instead of being angry, however, Sasuke felt relieved. If Shisui had personally picked Yamato (if that was even his real name) to watch over Sakura, then that meant he was the best. Not just one of the best, but _the best_.

"That's probably what it is." he murmured in reply, nodding once and pretending to accept the answer. Turning back around and facing Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke found that they didn't suspect a thing. That was good. If Sakura knew that Yamato was an undercover officer, then she would lash out. Actually there was no telling what she would do right now in such a weakened state. It might even be the final push, for all they knew. "Have you eaten?"

Sakura gave him a smile that Naruto couldn't understand properly, making him pout. "I've eaten, Sasuke. Don't worry! Yamato made sure that I ate pretty much everything on my plate this morning."

Said man chuckled from his place at the small table near the back. "You were rather hungry, Sakura. I was merely making sure your body got all the nutritions and proteins it needed after such a workout."

"Workout?" Naruto asked, giving her a hopeful smile. "You're still working out?"

"Yeah." she nodded. It made her feel safer, though recently, Sakura just hadn't had the time. "Sasuke, is Ao…?"

"Gaara picked him up last night." he grunted. "And he told Itachi and I that you were brought here to receive professional help. That you were willing."

Hearing the unspoken question in his voice, the demand, Sakura smiled. "I was – _am_. This was partly my choice as well as Gaara's, Sasuke. I need this. I need to get better. Anyway," she quickly changed the subject, smiling over at Naruto, "how's Hinata? She hasn't been put on the list because I'm only allowed to have a certain amount of people come and visit me – please let her know that."

It took Naruto a couple of moments for her words to sink into his mind, due to her having said them so quickly. A part of him wanted to ask her to slow down a little, but the discreet look Sasuke shot his way silenced him. Yeah, it wouldn't be fair of him to ask that, would it? It wasn't like Sakura could control her mind. Hell, sometimes even Naruto spoke quickly because of how excited he got! So, he pretended that that was why she was talking so quickly, because she was excited about seeing him.

"She's fine!" Naruto answered with a large grin. "Her dad still doesn't like me that much, but Neji's stopped glaring at me now! Hinata said that's a good thing. It'll only be a short while before Hiashi caves in and accepts me. She said it's my appearance or something. I look a little too casual, I think."

That was nice. "It's not that you look casual, Naruto." she told him patiently and reached up, poking the whiskers on one of his cheeks. "It's because of these. Hiashi doesn't agree with tattoos. Last year at the Hyuuga dinner party, he didn't approve of Gaara for the same reason."

He frowned in confusion. "You mean the kanji on his forehead? I thought that was a s–"

"Nope." Sakura cut him off, giving him a meaningful look. It warmed her heart how Gaara had opened up to Naruto, though. He trusted the blond and she knew how difficult it was for him to give out that trust. If you had it, it meant he thought highly of you. "Just a tattoo."

Thankfully, Naruto caught on. "Oh yeah. I think I'm getting him mixed up with someone else. Scars aren't red, are they?" Sakura shook her head with a tight smile, her fists clenching and tugging down the sleeves of her shirt at the same time. "Oh! That reminds me. Gaara told me that you got tattoos. Can we see them?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "I was meaning to ask you about them yesterday."

She blushed and fidgeted with her sleeves. "They're nothing too special…"

"C'mon, Sakura–chan!" Naruto grinned supportively, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it softly. "You know we're not bothered by your scars! I just want to see how cool your tattoos are! Did you get them done by that guy?"

"Yeah…" Sakura bit her lip and raised her sleeves, averting her eyes as Naruto gasped and gently grasped her wrist, twirling it this way and that to look at the kanji. "He remembers you both, by the way. You," she nodded at Naruto, who glanced up curiously, "because he did your tattoos. And you," Sasuke scowled at her next words, "because you threw up in the sink at his shop."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh loudly. "Wow, Sasuke. I always thought you could handle your drink!"

Just as Sasuke was about to speak, Sakura came to his defence. "Like you can talk! You were always completely wasted or close to passing out by the time Sasuke got drunk."

"Yeah well I can handle it better now!"

"And you're saying I can't?" Sasuke questioned, raising an eyebrow at the blond.

He scoffed, allowing Sasuke to take Sakura's wrist so that he could take a closer look at the tattoo. It seemed a little dry, like it was already starting to heal, but it was obvious Sakura was moisturising it to stop it from tightening and becoming itchy. There were traces of moisturiser left around it. The perfectionist in him demanded that he rubbed it in properly, so Sasuke did so without a word before releasing her wrist, ignoring how Sakura rolled her eyes at him and lowered her sleeves once more.

It surprised him that she didn't seem bothered by the fact he had just touched her scars. No, it hadn't been a lingering touch or a curious rub. Sasuke had simply gone over them, although his hand had paused for a fraction of a second when he realised where he was touching her, realised just what he was touching. Instead of making a fuss Sasuke had continued to properly rub the moisturiser in.

"You never used to be able to." Naruto retorted with a smirk. "I remember the first time we all got drunk! It was on holiday, remember? We were all by the pool and it took _ages_ to convince our parents to…" he trailed off, eyes snapping to Sakura's. "Sakura–chan, I'm–"

She shook her head with annoyance, though couldn't deny her heart was stinging viciously. "You don't need to apologise, Naruto. It's a good memory. I like remembering those times, when we were all together and happy. Everything seemed so simple back then, didn't it?" Sakura smiled softly to herself, getting lost in her thoughts and memories. "I remember my mom lecturing us all about the effects and whatnot of alcohol, and then your mom got involved too, Sasuke." he nodded silently. "I think Kushina–san was the only one who thought we were old enough to have our first drink."

Naruto grinned. "That was some strong stuff too, wasn't it? We were all wasted after one drink! I can remember Itachi and Shisui laughing at us – or laughing in their own way."

Yes, Sasuke could remember that too. It had been utterly humiliating the day after when the two continuously tormented him. Of course they picked on Sakura and Naruto, as well, but that was beside the point. There had been no hangover for him. He couldn't remember whether or not Naruto had one, but Sakura definitely had. She'd been completely useless the next day and couldn't stop throwing up. Sasuke could remember how Mebuki had taken care of her, sighing and saying something about a low tolerance for alcohol, saying something about her body being small and not used to it. There was then another lecture from his own mother, who had felt terrible for allowing the three kids to drink.

He didn't stay on the thought of Sakura drinking for too long and noticing how uncomfortable she was becoming, Sasuke changed the subject to something that did not involve a substance she was attempting to avoid and recover from. "Ino is planning your wedding."

Silence.

Suddenly, Naruto was nodding quickly, tugging on her hand. "Yeah! She had Hinata over at her place the other night _all night_, talking about dresses and bridesmaids and other wedding–y type of stuff."

Wedding? Sakura's brain had stopped at Sasuke's statement, not taking in Naruto's words as she focused entirely on the word 'wedding'. _Wedding_. That was right! She and Gaara were engaged, though they hadn't really set a date yet. They hadn't felt the need to straight away, wanting to get used to being engaged before rushing into marriage. Even though they were already certain on each other, it was simply a just in case.

So… Was it going to be a long engagement? How long would it last for? Six months? A year? Five years? Sakura didn't want to be the woman who was _always_ engaged, but never actually married. She wanted to walk down the aisle, she–

Tears filled her eyes as something suddenly slammed into her.

"My dad… he won't be walking me down the aisle." she whispered. "Neither of them will see me get married."

* * *

><p>It had been rather emotional since the realisation of her parents not being there for her wedding. Sakura wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of it sooner. Perhaps it was the stress? It didn't matter. Whatever the reason, it did not take away the pain she was feeling. It <em>did<em>, however, make her realise something else, something that she had known for a while, but had simply not taken much notice of.

"You were close with my parents, right?" Sakura asked him, frowning softly as the pain in her heart increased. "Like, really close."

"Since I was four years old."

Sakura nodded, falling silent once more. Around an hour after arriving, she, Naruto and Sasuke had followed Yamato to the cafeteria to get their lunch. Yamato needed to stick with them because not a single one of them knew their way around. Not only that, but Naruto and Sasuke were visitors. Usually visitors were not allowed so they had to be watched. After eating, they had stayed another hour before reluctantly leaving, giving Sakura some time alone to get ready for her next visitor.

And right at that moment in time, she and Itachi were sat side by side in the field, feeling relaxed and at peace. Having Itachi by her side as they sat opposite the forest made her feel safer, kept those awful memories away. Sakura knew that Yamato was somewhere close by, but he seemed to be keeping to himself or giving them some time alone. She was grateful for that. It was like the brunet could pick up on her need to speak with Itachi privately.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?"

"Earlier…" she closed her eyes and sighed. "Sasuke told me that Ino is planning my wedding."

He paused for a moment before giving her a serious look. "Would you like for me to tell her–"

"No. It's not that." Sakura shook her head, opening her eyes once more and grabbing his hand, surprising Itachi ever so slightly by the contact. "I don't know when the wedding will be, but… I realised something important. My dad won't be walking me down the aisle."

"Sakura…" Itachi's eyes saddened at the look on her face and in a brotherly gesture, he put his arm around her shoulders and brought Sakura closer. "They will still be there with you when you marry Gaara–kun. They would not miss your wedding for anything, even if they are not there in body."

The thought made her smile. It was a little cheesy, but it was easing the pain in her heart slightly. Being there in spirit was better than not at all and Itachi was right, they would not miss her wedding for the world.

She bit her lip, feeling nervous. "I… I was wondering… If you'd maybe like to give me away?"

It was too soon to be asking somebody else to fill her father's place, she knew that and part of Sakura felt awful for it, but her mind was racing through idea after idea and all of them were great! She wanted to get them started as soon as possible and the moment she got out of rehab, Sakura was determined to speak with Gaara about possibly setting a date.

Oh, she'd really like a spring wedding. Not only was she born in the spring, but both Mebuki and Kazashi had loved it.

Itachi could only stare down at her.

Sakura smiled shyly, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I know it's… I know it's wrong to… to ask you so soon after…"

"It's not too soon." Itachi told her quietly. Hope. Planning a wedding wouldn't only make her more determined to get better, to get back to her usual self, but it would also give her hope. It would help Sakura find her way through that dark place by giving her something to look forward to. Something to focus on. He gave her a smile. "I would be honoured to give you away in your father's place, Sakura." seeing her bottom lip tremble, he cupped her face softly, pushing the stray strands she had missed behind her ear. "He would be so very proud of how strong you are. They both would be."

"Strong…" she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm not strong, Itachi. I'm weak."

If she was strong, Sakura would not be in the position she was currently in. She would not be aching and craving alcohol. She wouldn't _not_ be taking her medication (which they had yet to ease her back onto, as they needed Tsunade). The list went on and on.

Itachi sighed and shook his head, tightening his one–armed hug. "In my eyes, you are one of the strongest women I have ever met and I know that your parents thought the same thing. You have been through so much, Sakura. You are allowed your moments of weakness. It is all a part of being human."

That didn't make her feel much better. Just knowing how weak she was right now and not only mentally, made Sakura feel sick. Earlier that morning whilst training with Yamato, she hadn't been able to keep up at all. After only ten minutes she had been panting and gasping, legs feeling like jelly, before Yamato finally ended their short session. It made her feel pathetic. And disgusting.

Her parents would definitely be ashamed of the state she was in.

Hell, if Sakura hadn't gone out the other night, if she had stayed in with Mebuki and Ao like she had originally planned to, maybe her mother would still be alive. Her room – the guest room – was right beside Mebuki's due to Sakura wanting to stay close to the woman, just in case she was needed.

So much for helping out.

Sakura bit her lip harshly and moved to closer to Itachi, dropping her face to his shoulder so that her hair would fall into her eyes, hiding her face. He understood and wrapped his other arm around her, silently holding and comforting Sakura as she cried.

A certain promise he had made to both Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki was still fresh in his mind – had been since he was four years old.

He would always be there for Sakura. She was just as much his sibling as Sasuke was.

* * *

><p>"I wish you could stay here the night." Sakura whispered as the arms around her waist tightened, as a nose nuzzled against the back of her neck. "Or for the entirety of my stay."<p>

He agreed wholeheartedly. However, "Somebody has to take care of Ao." Gaara told her quietly, rubbing her side affectionately. "He misses you."

Sakura smiled sadly and reached behind her, running her hand through his hair. "He missed you, too. I bet he was happy to see you, wasn't he?"

Yes, he had been. In fact Ao had knocked Gaara down the second he saw him – something he had always done to Sakura. After that, Ao hadn't left him alone for a single second and had whined and barked whenever Gaara went to the bathroom or out of the condo. The dog was being especially clingy lately and Gaara knew it was because Ao was feeling distressed. Itachi had told him about how Ao had been locked in the house on the night Mebuki died, trying to claw his way into the bathroom. Just how long had he been there for? How long had he been trying to get into the bathroom before Ao realised it was too late?

Gaara stayed with Ao as much as he possibly could, even going as far as to sneaking him into his office. Hardly sneaking considering the size of him, but keeping him on his harness and assuring his employees that Ao was a guard dog eased their minds a little. It also helped how he kept his office door shut. Why did he need a guard dog? Well, Gaara didn't, but his employees did not know that. Shisui had even cleared it for him, saying that Ao was to stay by Gaara's side for protection. Rumours had been circulating for the entire day but that hardly mattered. What mattered was that Gaara was keeping his promise to Sakura – he was not leaving Ao alone for long periods of time. Not including now, of course. But even then, Ao was not alone. Kankuro was with him.

"Yes." he sighed into her neck, eyes closed and feeling more relaxed than he had in quite a while. "We had steak last night."

"Ao loves steak." Sakura smiled warmly this time. "How's he doing?"

They had been given some privacy for their visitation and after greeting each other with hugs and kisses as well as eating dinner, they had ended up laying on their sides on the sofa, Gaara's body curled around her own and holding her in such a way that she felt safe, protected. She felt untouchable in Gaara's arms. Neither of them knew the rules of such things, but surely a little spooning wouldn't kill anybody? It certainly wouldn't kill her. Sakura needed this. To be comforted. Itachi had comforted her earlier, holding her whilst she cried. Now she just needed…

She just needed Gaara.

"He was whining when I left." Gaara told her truthfully when Sakura turned in his arms, now facing him. "But other than that, Ao is doing better. He just wants you to come home." he kissed her softly then, giving her a small smile. "We both do."

"I want to come home." was her reply. "First, though, I need to get better. Then, we could… We could maybe…"

He raised a brow, stroking her cheek and pushing the hair in her face behind her ear. "Maybe we could, what?"

"…Set a date?"

The hand in her hair paused, eyes widening a fraction, before Gaara was giving her another smile. He could see the same thing as Itachi, that this would bring her hope and something to look forward to, but unlike the Uchiha, Gaara knew that they had several problems they needed to sort out before getting married. "We will see how your treatment goes and once you return, if you still feel this way about our wedding, then we will choose whichever date you want. All I ask is that it's not too far away," he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers, "I want to tie myself to you in every way possible."

That sounded more than perfect to her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Hope none of you are getting frustrated or confused with the whole wedding planning thing! Sakura hasn't forgotten about what Gaara did with Matsuri.**

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday like I usually do! I had an exam, but then it got cancelled and then meh.**


	17. I Missed You

**Chapter 17 – I Missed You**

Rehab wasn't too bad. It certainly wasn't pretty but it could have been worse. It could have been Konoha Psychiatric Hospital. And there were so many people at the rehab centre who understood partly what she was going through. Hell, Sakura had made friends with a middle aged woman who was also there for alcohol dependency.

To make her focus more on getting better, after the first day of having visitors, the owner of the rehab centre had asked Sakura if she would want to try and go for the rest of her treatment without seeing or hearing from them. It had been painfully hard to do so, but the woman was right. It definitely helped. The thought of getting out of there, getting better and seeing her loved ones, was something Sakura held onto dearly.

Gaara had been given a final day to see her before they were separated once more.

She had sworn to him that the moment she got out, there would be no more separations. He'd kissed her so hard that she was breathless and left hungry for something more.

Having Yamato around was helpful. He was surprisingly easy to get on with and helped whip Sakura back into shape. Also, when not training or involved in group sessions, Sakura was with Tsunade, who had once again given up pretty much everything else to help her. Oh, Tsunade had been angry at first – downright furious, in fact – but she had eventually calmed down and spoke to her calmly, helping Sakura open up about the pains she was feeling. When she couldn't open up any more than what she had, the blonde taught her a lot about psychology, helping her make up for the work she had missed.

Three times Sakura had almost quit. Three times she had been so very close to calling Gaara and asking him to pick her up, telling him that she was done with the place. How did she get through that? By reminding herself that, if Sakura was to quit now, then she would be disappointing everyone. Her friends, Gaara, her parents and herself. That was not an option. _Failure_ was not an option.

Once more, her skin was unblemished and a more healthy colour (Shizune had been called at one point to check her over, to make sure there was no serious internal damage to her organs), though her hair could do with a deep treatment and a trim. Instead of thirty days, Sakura was at rehab for forty–seven. However, it was worth it. She felt rejuvenated. New. Fresh. A decent outfit would be nice, as right at that moment in time, she was wearing trainers, joggers and an oversized hoodie, but Sakura hardly paid any attention to that. Gaara had seen her looking much worse than how she currently looked.

"I'm going to miss you." Sakura smiled to Yamato, packing the last of her things.

Her room at rehab was small and simple with no unnecessary items yet at the same time, it was comforting and relaxing. They even played soft music to try and lull her to sleep and sometimes, it worked. It worked even better when they handed her one of Gaara's shirts, one that smelled strongly of him. That night had been difficult for several different reasons, though one in particular – she missed him so much. And yes, maybe she had cried herself to sleep that night, but Gaara's scent had comforted her greatly.

And today, after forty–seven days of being in rehab, Sakura was finally going home.

"I don't think I'll ever find a training partner as ferocious as yourself." he replied teasingly, folding his arms over his chest. "You're–"

"Freakishly strong." she finished with a smirk. "Or so I've been told."

Yes, Sakura would miss Yamato. He was a pretty fun guy once you got beyond the seriousness. Whilst he was pretty laid back, there was a hard edge to him that practically yelled "don't fuck with me". Kind of like Kakashi, now that Sakura thought about it. Both men were clearly capable of taking care of themselves, yet they were laid back enough not to go starting unnecessary fights. She liked those kinds of people.

Oh! That reminded her. Sakura had to message or call Kakashi some time during the next day, as he had apparently been asking after her. How did she know? Gaara took Ao for a walk, met up with Kakashi and his pack of dogs and so on.

"Are you looking forward to going home?" Yamato asked Sakura, handing her the photo frame on the bedside table. Movements paused for a moment, however, when he took a look at the picture. It seemed old, though no older than a year or so. It was of Sakura, Gaara, Ao and… And her parents. His eyes unnoticeably saddened. They all looked so happy in the picture. She and Gaara were dressed up formally, like they were going to a prom or something of the sort. "Here."

Sakura smiled sadly. "Gaara and I were on our way to the Hyuuga dinner party in this." she told him even though he hadn't asked. "My mom practically forced us into having our picture taken. That…" her voice broke for a moment with emotion, but Sakura forced herself to calm down. "That was the night Gaara was welcomed into the family, when my mom and dad told him that he was a part of the family."

Ah. From what little Yamato knew of Sabaku Gaara, he knew that his childhood had not been a happy one. To hear such words must have been… Yamato wasn't sure. Surreal, perhaps? Unbelievable? There was a smile in Gaara's eyes, one that was larger and warmer than the actual smile on his face, but it told you just how happy hearing those words made him.

"Sakura–san?" a voice called quietly after a single knock on the door. "Sabaku–sama is here for you."

A nervous feeling fluttered in her stomach. "Tell him I'll be five minutes. I'm just finishing this last bit of packing."

The woman smiled warmly. "Of course. Please take care of yourself!"

With that, the woman left, making Sakura smile. They were so nice here.

"Is that everything?" she murmured, glancing around her temporary room. It seemed as though she had everything, but Sakura wanted to make sure.

Yamato also looked around before grabbing the shirt on the bed, handing it over to her. "You nearly forgot this." he told her with a smirk. "If we find anything else, I will make sure that you get it back. Now go to Gaara–kun, Sakura. I know he has missed you."

That sounded perfect.

* * *

><p>Where was she?<p>

Gaara had already signed her out, had dealt with all the paperwork so that they wouldn't have to waste another second. He just couldn't wait to get Sakura back, to take her home and never let her go again. Not in the creepy, possessive way, but in the 'I–missed–you–so–much' way.

And God he had missed her so badly.

Being told that it would be best to allow her to heal alone, without the distraction of visitors, was painful. Gaara had told her that he would be there every moment of every day, a step behind her and waiting to catch her if she fell. But… Maybe Sakura didn't need him to be walking behind her? Maybe she wanted him walking by her side, holding her hand and keeping her going? No, Gaara didn't believe that she was incredibly dependent on him, but she had her moments, just like he had his. He knew that he could be clingy at times, though she certainly never complained.

Around the time of his birthday, it was no secret that Gaara stuck closer to her, that he was especially loving if they ever made love – or even simple, chaste kisses. Everything and anything he did would be more passionate, more tender. Not only around his birthday, either. Also around the time when they had all been held hostage in her old home, when Kabuto had tried to kill her. When he had almost lost her.

Gaara swallowed tightly and forced himself to calm down. Kabuto was in prison. He could not touch Sakura and if he ever got within a mile radius of her, Gaara swore to whoever was listening that he would not be walking away. He'd be leaving with more than a fucked up leg. Kabuto had gotten lucky that Sakura had a moment of humanity, when she had stopped Ao from killing the bastard.

And then a flash of pink caught his attention, though right at the last second before someone was suddenly slamming into him.

"Gaara!" Sakura exclaimed and ran towards him, her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs around his waist. He caught her and held her up effortlessly and when she pulled back, Sakura couldn't help but smile brightly, crushing her lips to his. "I missed you so much."

Her bags were dumped onto the ground at his feet and Gaara was careful when he placed her down onto hers in case she tripped. "I'm glad you're finally coming home."

It surprised him when Sakura fisted his hair in one of her hands, the other cupping his face and pulling it down to hers, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm so glad to finally be coming home." she whispered, eyes slowly shutting. "I _missed _you."

It wasn't hard picking up on what she really meant, especially when Sakura reopened her eyes and gave him such a sultry look that it had his blood boiling, had his hands twitching on her waist, barely stopping from squeezing her, from dragging her closer. That thought hadn't even passed his mind in the past week. All Gaara had been excited for was finally bringing her home. But now that Sakura had mentioned it, he remembered all of the lonely nights, he remembered how cold her side of the bed felt. He remembered feeling _so fucking frustrated_ and being unable to do a thing about it.

Gaara released her and picked up the bags at their feet, nodding once to her. Sakura grinned.

He shouldn't have been surprised by her need. She'd always had a high sex drive and Gaara knew that they definitely had more sex than the average couple, especially considering their schedules.

"Goodbye Sakura–san, Gaara–sama!" Somebody called after them.

Sakura gave a distracted wave, much too bothered about finally going home.

It was a near–silent drive and it honestly surprised Sakura just how far the rehab clinic actually was! On the way there, it hadn't seemed to take nearly as long, but maybe that was because Sakura had been hoping it would take as long as possible or that, somehow, they wouldn't get there at all? She bit her lip. Now it just seemed to be taking forever!

All that was passing them at that moment in time were fields, country roads and horses. Oh, there were a few cows and sheep, too, by the looks of things. She didn't like it. It stunk of manure and who knows what else.

"Did you enjoy your stay?" Gaara asked after a while, wanting to speak with her.

It had been so long since they had done something as simple as this. Simply driving home. Yes, it was the first time picking her up from rehab – and hopefully the last – but Gaara didn't care. He knew what he meant. Also the drive to rehab did not count. They had both been stressed and emotionally drained. Right now, there was a change in the atmosphere. Besides their sexual frustration they were calm, they were relaxed. Gaara was aware of the fact that it was still too early to really say that there was that big of a difference, however, this was his first impression.

And then he heard her seatbelt unbuckling.

Gaara's eyes narrowed and snapped to hers. What was she playing at? If they crashed, she'd go straight through the windscreen! "Put your seatbelt on."

Ignoring him, Sakura smirked and twisted in her seat, kneeling up and leaning over him and in response, Gaara slowed his pace considerably. His driving only continued to slow when she reached for his pants.

"Sakura," Gaara practically growled, his hold tightening on the steering wheel, "we're almost home."

Knowing what he was saying, Sakura shook her head and continued with her task of unbuttoning his jeans. "I need you, Gaara." she breathed, her hand slipping under the waistband of his underwear. "I can't wait that long."

And as her hand dragged up and down his hardening length, he couldn't help but inwardly agree with her, though still argued. "We have all night." Gaara told her with a sigh, his hips bucking when her pace increased. "I have also taken tomorrow off – Temari and Kankuro will be filling in for me."

She couldn't stop. She didn't want to. "Gaara…"

One of his hands suddenly fisted in her hair when Sakura lowered herself, taking him by surprise when she wrapped her lips around his length. It was a second later that Gaara pulled over, switching out the lights in the car as he leaned back in his seat, his hips thrusting forward minutely.

"Don't stop." his voice was breathless and strained, his hold tightening on her hair as he already felt his release drawing closer. Damn it had been too long. "Fuck, Sakura. _Don't stop_."

Her legs quivered ever so slightly at his beg, the sound of his voice making her skin tingle and her eyes slid shut with a muffled moan when Gaara's hand released her hair and travelled down her body. First, he grabbed her ass, squeezing and gently massaging, but soon travelled around her body to the front.

Just as he was about to slip his hand into her joggers, however, there was a tapping at his window, making Gaara's eyes go wide.

It was reluctantly that he turned his head and much to his horror, an elderly man was stood there. He was the uptight sort, the type who seemed ridiculously strict and traditional. Just their luck. Rather quickly, Gaara tugged on Sakura's hair gently, doing his best to keep the pleasured expression from his features as he fixed his pants. Sakura was breathless and seemed annoyed with him, that annoyance only growing when she saw the old man.

His hair was greying and his hairline receding. The only reason they knew that was because he removed his hat – one that told them he was a farmer. Well, that and the smell that wafted in when Gaara pressed the button to lower his window. As hard as she tried to hide what she was doing, the way Sakura wiped at her lips gave away that he had been close to release and _fuck_ he had been. Just another thirty seconds or so and they would have been done. Well, Gaara would be. Knowing Sakura, however, she would have probably dragged him onto the back seat and given him another hand job until he was ready again. Then, they would have a quick romp that would keep them sated until they got home. How was Gaara so sure? They'd done it before, of course.

"You cannot do that here."

The back of Gaara's neck burned whilst Sakura had to bite back her laugh at his expression. Not only Gaara's but also the man's. "We're so sorry." she told him, her voice wavering, though it was difficult to tell whether it was because of her embarrassment or barely restrained laughter. Gaara knew her well, however. He knew she was laughing. "It's just been so–"

"I don't care." the man cut her off, ignoring the warning look that Gaara shot his way. "This is my land and I do not appreciate it being defiled in such a way. Leave now before I call the police."

It just couldn't be helped. It seriously couldn't. Sakura burst into laughter, tears filling her eyes as she dropped her head into her hands, hiding her face. Gaara quickly started his car, murmuring an embarrassed, awkward apology before driving off quickly.

Defiled. Oh God. She just couldn't get over the way he had spoken and worded his sentences! "Defiled." Sakura repeated, her face flushing red. "We _defiled_ his _land_!"

Gaara was silent, his eyes narrowed and watching the road with unnecessary carefulness. Why? Because otherwise, he was going to pull the car over and pin her against the back seat, whether there were complaining old farmers around or not. In his pants his erection twitched almost painfully. _So close_. Then again, this made the wait all the more intense. It would make the moment they reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies all the more powerful.

His eyes trailed over to Sakura, watching as she wiped away her tears of laughter and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself.

He smiled softly.

This was his Sakura. Right now, her mind seemed to be almost completely at peace and he knew this because she wasn't that good of an actress. Yes, she had bullshitted her way through Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, but many complaints had been made about that place and how they didn't care for the patients as well as they should be doing. No, Sakura wasn't able to hide much from him.

Feeling happier than he had in a while, Gaara silently reached out for her hand and held it in his own as he continued with the drive.

"Put your seatbelt on."

With a roll of her eyes, she did as he asked.

* * *

><p>The rest of the drive was unbearably long, maddening even. The worst part definitely had to be the elevator. People kept getting on and getting off on every single floor, giving polite smiles or completely ignoring the couple. If only they knew how close Sakura and Gaara were to ripping the clothes off each other.<p>

Sakura's bags were still in the car, completely forgotten about. It didn't really matter. They could always go down later and grab them. Also, Gaara had told her that Ao was over at Kakashi's for a short while, because the journey would take too long, meaning he wouldn't be able to walk Ao. It was understandable as Ao was a big dog who needed regular exercise.

It felt like all restraints snapped as they reached their floor, as the elevator doors shut behind them. They didn't even see the man standing in his doorway, something he always did. It was his job to watch over Sakura and Gaara, after all. Not only that, but Sasori would totally kick his ass if he slacked off. It just wasn't worth it. Besides, he only had to stay out there whilst nobody was in the condo. They didn't have a peephole in their door, so this was the only way to make sure nobody broke in.

Deidara smirked as he watched the couple stumble into their condo, the door barely even shut when Sakura let out a pleasured whimper. The way they had been holding each other, the look in their eyes, screamed how much they'd missed each other. He huffed with amusement and closed his eyes, opening his own door and going inside. He could see why Itachi was so certain they would work out their own problems. Hell, Deidara had worked that out weeks ago whenever he spotted Gaara walking in and out of his apartment with a face of utter depression. They needed each other. It wasn't only Sakura who needed Gaara, as they had been led to believe. It worked both ways.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to go and freshen up." she breathed, eyes sliding shut as Gaara's insistent hands continued to caress her body. "Give me fifteen minutes."<p>

Reluctantly, he pulled away and nodded once, though leaned back in to press a lingering kiss on her lips. "Make it ten."

Watching as Gaara made his way to their bedroom, Sakura quickly began to strip, rushing over to the bathroom and jumping into the shower before it had even warmed up. It was cold, but that was fine by her. She'd warm up again when she was…

Her knees weakened.

A second later and Sakura was quickly yet thoroughly washing herself. She'd showered earlier that morning, but had also crammed in a work out before leaving.

* * *

><p>Gaara smirked to himself as he heard her jumping into the shower, knowing that she wouldn't wait until it was warm. That would be just like her.<p>

Glancing around the room for a moment, Gaara tilted his head to the side before walking over to the docking station and pressing play. It was Sakura's phone that was plugged in, though he made sure to unplug it during the day as he didn't want to end up ruining her battery. Whilst she was gone, to try and relax at night, Gaara had played her favourite playlist on repeat, although it didn't have the same effect on him as it did her. Ao seemed to like it, though.

He sighed in relief, thankful that he had remembered to change the bedsheets. It was summer now and Ao was loosing a lot of his winter coat, meaning the bed had been covered in dog hairs. Not exactly romantic.

_Mayday! Mayday!  
>The ship is slowly sinking<br>They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling  
>They're all around me,<br>Circling like vultures  
>They wanna break me and wash away my colours<br>Wash away my colours_

It felt like forever was going by before the shower finally switched off, before Sakura was entering the room. Instead of reaching out to him in the same way as the frantic way they had grabbed each other, however, Sakura smiled softly and slowly walked over to him. The towel around her body wasn't all too big and it certainly didn't leave much to the imagination and Gaara found himself having a difficult time with not ripping it away from her body.

When she finally reached him, his hands immediately fell to her hips and Sakura crushed her lips to his, her hands fisting in his hair as Gaara dragged her body as close as possible.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
>Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)<br>We are one in the same  
>Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)<br>Save me if I become  
>My demons<em>

Guiding her backwards, Gaara moved his kisses to her neck and slowly lowered Sakura onto the bed. There was a gentle smile on her lips, one that warmed him from the inside just like it always did. He loved her smiles and had missed them terribly over the past few months.

Tugging on the towel, Sakura lifted her hips and allowed for Gaara to remove it from her body, sighing as she heard it drop to the floor by their bed. The feeling of his strong hands roaming over her body, of his lips moving lower and lower, had a pleasurable warmth washing over her. Not even half a minute later and Sakura's back arched, her mouth fell open in a silent cry of pleasure as his tongue worked over her, his fingers taking her higher and higher.

_I cannot stop this sickness taking over  
>It takes control and drags me into nowhere<br>I need your help, I can't fight this forever  
>I know you're watching,<br>I can feel you out there_

"Gaara," she sighed, her head dropping backwards onto the pillows, "I love you."

There was so much more that she wanted to say, so many pretty words that she wanted to tell him, but now was not the time. Her body was thrumming, blood was boiling and the coil in her stomach was tightening, a clear indication that she was close to orgasm.

He pulled away, smirking down at her with the devilish smirk that had never failed to make her heart beat faster. "I love you."

Forgetting the annoyance that had been building due to him leaving her unsatisfied, Sakura smiled and sat up, kissing Gaara softly as she switched their positions. Hearing those words coming from his lips brought Sakura a feeling she would never be able to describe. The love she felt for the man beneath her was so intense, so powerful, that there were no words to describe it.

Movements were jerky and hurried as Sakura shoved his underwear down, throwing them across the room and she couldn't help but giggle when he smirked up at her, his eyes warm with love and a look that screamed just how much he missed her.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
>Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)<br>We are one in the same  
>Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)<br>Save me if I become  
>My demons<em>

Rolling them over, Gaara held her body close to his as he entered her, kissing Sakura tenderly as he slowly rocked within her, grinding his hips against hers before going back to his thrusts.

This was the lovemaking Sakura enjoyed most. It was intense, but it was gentle and so delicate that it made her eyes slide shut, made her return his kiss with just as much tenderness and love. To anyone else, this would have probably seemed so very out of character for Gaara. There was no denying he seemed like a big, scary tough guy who had no emotions, but Sakura knew different. _She knew him_. And now that she was thinking logically once more, now that her thoughts were straightened out and she could actually focus on them, Sakura could see now that there wasn't another woman – Matsuri meant absolutely nothing to him. He was all hers, just like she was all his.

_Take me over the walls below  
>Fly forever<br>Don't let me go  
>I need a saviour to heal my pain<br>When I become my worst enemy  
>The enemy<em>

Her hips moved with his wantonly, squirming and grinding and her toes curled as orgasm finally claimed her, taking away her sight for what felt like minutes, hours, _days_! All she could focus on was Gaara and the amazing feelings he was bringing her. It felt like an explosion of pure pleasure, making her cling onto him tightly.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
>Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)<br>We are one in the same  
>Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)<br>Save me if I become  
>My demons<em>

Her orgasm brought forth his own, had him grunting and moaning in her ear whilst his body trembled and twitched, releasing himself inside of her in hot spurts that only increased Sakura's pleasure, sending her over the edge a second time.

Time seemed to tick by slowly as their pleasure slowly faded away, leaving them to bask in the blissful post–coital sensation.

"I missed this," Sakura whispered and Gaara lifted his head from her neck in response, staring down at her with lidded, yet warm eyes, "I missed _us_."

He smiled softly and stroked her cheek. No words were needed to know that he felt the same way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I'll be going on hiatus for a short while! Sorry, but I need to focus on college. I have a few assignments and an exam coming up. Hopefully it'll only be a few weeks though! Two minimum, three maximum!**


	18. Helping A Friend

**Chapter 18 – Helping A Friend**

Gaara sighed. Did he really have to go through this?

"I mean… I _think_ she's enjoying it, but…" Naruto grimaced and poked at his ramen. "Hinata just seems… It, uh…" The redhead silently prayed that something would happen and he would be somehow saved. "It takes a while to, you know… get her going." pausing, Naruto glanced up at him and frowned. "Do you and Sakura…?"

"No." It made him completely uncomfortable discussing his sex life with others, especially with former lovers of Sakura. Then again, Naruto had never asked about it before and he seemed just as uncomfortable as well as worried. Did it really matter to him that much if he couldn't make Hinata orgasm? "We are both very active." the deepening of Naruto's frown had him sighing. "High sex drives, Naruto."

He nodded quickly, averting his eyes. "And… Do you… Do you make Sakura…?"

Gaara thought back to all of their times together, each memory and every time he had taken her was burned into his mind. They had sex twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night, although if Sakura was on her period, then they obviously did not. So taking away eighty–four days, which was seven days every month (even though her periods were extremely unpredictable and changed all the time), Gaara would say that they had had sex well over five hundred times and that was in the past year alone.

"Yes." another pause when he noticed Naruto growing more distressed. "Stop worrying so much. As I said, both Sakura and I have high sex drives. Not only that, but I know her well and know what…" makes her come. "And her body is extremely sensitive, Naruto. You just need to get to know Hinata's body better. Take your time to learn everything about her."

"Learn her body?"

What the hell had he been doing up until now? Simply fucking her? "Yes." not for the first time, he sighed. "Sakura has ten erogenous zones on her body – parts of her body that are highly sensitive to sexual stimulation." Naruto nodded, smiling sheepishly in thanks for the explanation. "What are Hinata's?"

"Uh…"

Gaara felt like slamming his head into the table they were sat at. "Lips, neck, ears, shoulders, breasts, stomach, ass, thighs, hips and obviously, her g–spot. Those are all of Sakura's erogenous zones." his features darkened. "And if I ever hear of you repeating any of that–"

The blond waved his hands dismissively. "You won't, you won't!"

There was a moment of pause, one where Gaara regarded Naruto before nodding. "Those are the parts of her body I pay most attention to, as it brings her the most pleasure. There are other parts of her body that can be sensitive, like her ankles, knees and the insides of her elbows," Naruto pulled a funny face, wondering just how those parts of her body could turn her on, "but those are the ones that are most sensitive. Like I said, take your time. Start with her lips and make your way down." the back of his neck was burning. Just what the hell was he doing? The things he did for his friends… "Find all of Hinata's erogenous spots and don't be a selfish lover."

"A selfish lover…" Naruto thought back on his times with Hinata. There weren't many. They hadn't started having sex until their sixth month anniversary, which had been a few months ago now and since then, they'd had sex… four, maybe five times? It was just so hard getting Hinata wet enough! No matter how hard Naruto tried, he just couldn't turn her on enough to make sex comfortable for her. "Have you ever…?"

"Never."

"Not even once?" he scowled. Surely that was a lie? "You've never once been selfish when with Sakura?"

"No."

"Bullshit."

Gaara gave him a blank look. "I'm not lying."

"_Bull_–"

"What's bullshit?" a voice questioned from behind them and when they turned slowly in horror, they saw Sakura stood there with Hinata, shopping bags in one hand whilst the other was resting on her hip. By her side, Hinata stood unsurely, with just as many shopping bags. She kept a certain one hidden inside of the others. "Naruto?" Sakura asked, knowing there was no use in asking Gaara.

He smiled sheepishly. "Well, Gaara said that he's never been a selfish lover–"

"He hasn't." Sakura shrugged simply and sat down beside her fiancé, who sighed. He knew what was coming. "Gaara always makes sure that I orgasm either before him, or at the same time." Hinata's face turned an unhealthy shade of red whilst Naruto's mouth dropped open. Once again, Sakura shrugged. "My body is sensitive and even if it wasn't, Gaara knows how to use his–"

Gaara cut her off. "What did you buy?"

Quietly, whilst still blushing furiously, Hinata sat beside Naruto, offering him a shy smile when he glanced down at her. He seemed slightly uncomfortable in her eyes and it made her question just what he and Gaara had been discussing before she and Sakura turned up. Had it been the same discussion she had had with Sakura? Oh Hinata hoped not!

They had been together for just under eleven months now and don't get her wrong, because Hinata couldn't be happier! Naruto treated her like she was a queen and could be just as serious as he was playful and childish, but… She sighed, averting her eyes to the counter as Naruto ordered for both her and Sakura. Their sex life was not what she had expected it to be. Hinata wasn't sure what she had been expecting, though it definitely was not like this.

How could she explain it without seeming needy or… or whatever the name that was used for girls who needed more from their partner?

It wasn't that he couldn't turn her on, because he could. The things Naruto whispered hotly in her ear could set her whole body on fire! However… It was… Once more, Hinata sighed, smiling up at the woman who brought them their food a moment later.

Their sex felt like it was lacking something.

That was what she wanted to say to Naruto, but how could she say such a thing to him? Despite all of his act at being unaffected by certain things, Hinata knew it was different. She'd been in love with him for as long as she could remember! Meaning that Hinata had also seen the effect bullies had on him. It made him fear rejection, made him fear that he wasn't good enough – though he certainly hid those fears well.

So, Hinata had asked Sakura about it. She had asked her how her first time with Naruto was, despite being uncomfortable with the thought of her friend sleeping with her boyfriend. Then, when Sakura had shrugged and said that it was "sweet" and "intimate", Hinata had almost burst into tears. Intimacy. Their sex lacked intimacy. To her, it simply felt like a chore – something that was expected of her.

It felt strange discussing sex with Sakura, for Hinata had believed that she may be uncomfortable with such a thing after everything that had happened to her. Surprisingly, however, Sakura had been rather understanding, smiling softly and giving her advice on what to do. Those words made Hinata think and even though she knew Sakura wasn't suggesting such a thing, the dark haired woman knew that it was her own fault and not Naruto's. She was the one who made sex feel like a chore because of the way she had been brought up – she had been brought up to believe that sex before marriage was not allowed and once a woman was married, it was her job to birth her husband's children and raise those children. That had stuck with her. Well, the second part had.

And that was why she and Sakura had been shopping. They were "spicing up" Hinata and Naruto's sex life. How did they do that? Lingerie. According to Sakura, it not only made the woman look incredibly hot, but also gave her a boost in confidence. She told Hinata that nothing made her feel more like a woman than when Gaara gazed at her with lidded eyes, silently telling her that he definitely enjoyed the sight of her in her lingerie, telling her without words that he couldn't wait to tear it off and ravish her.

As her thoughts turned impure, Hinata blushed.

"Something wrong, Hinata?"

Her head snapped up and her blush deepened, like a child who had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. "U–Uh, no. I'm fine, thank you, Naruto–kun."

Nodding silently, he turned back to his food, but not even a moment later, he was looking back at her with a grin. "Want to see a movie tonight? I heard that book you like was coming out as a movie tonight!"

Pale eyes widened. He remembered that? She had told him about the movie months ago!

Hinata's heart warmed, as did her smile and eyes. "That would be lovely, Naruto–kun."

He smiled at her in response. The small, loving smile that had her lowering her eyes shyly. Whilst she was so very glad that she hadn't, Hinata just couldn't understand how Sakura had _not_ fallen in love with Naruto. He was such a sweet person behind all of his joking and hyperactive personality.

"–and I also got a new…" Sakura leaned closer to Gaara, whispering something in his ear that had him tensing ever so slightly.

It had been a week now since Sakura had gotten out of rehab and her friends had been calling non–stop to see how she was, to make plans of meeting up. So far, she had made plans with everyone except for Kakashi, Temari and Moegi.

Part of Sakura felt so badly about the way she handled things with Temari. The woman was Gaara's sister! Of course she'd be siding with her little brother. However, a part of her also believed that the blonde could have been just a little more understanding. Granted, Temari probably didn't know anything about bipolar disorder and knew very little about what it was truly like, however, just because Sakura was seeming paranoid, it did not mean that it was because of her disorder.

Slowly, Sakura took a deep breath and released it. There was no use in holding onto those negative feelings. To move on, to move forward, she needed to let go of the past or at least accept it. Certain things, she was still working on, but smaller things such as the whole mess with Temari, were easier to handle.

"Gaara," Sakura told him softly, glancing up at him, "you should call Temari and Kankuro later to invite them over for dinner."

He paused in his eating, raising a brow. "Are you sure?"

She smiled. "Temari's your sister, Gaara. We need to put what happened behind us otherwise it could eventually get in between _us_ and our relationship. I'm willing to forgive and forget." her smile widened for a minute. "To be honest, I've kind of missed having her around."

Gaara couldn't even deny that it made him happy hearing those words. It was uncomfortable having the two fighting (not exactly fighting, but definitely not friends). He nodded once at her, accepting the hand that entwined with his free one beneath the table.

Everything had been going well for them in the past week. There were a few tears every now and then, but that was understandable considering the fact that Sakura had lost both of her parents. Having Ao around cheered her up, however, and she had started going back to college, too. She was slowly yet surely getting back to the way her life was before her episode.

The second day of being home, Sakura had contacted her college (who hadn't been too thrilled with her sudden disappearance) and on the third day, went to a meeting with some of the tutors there. After explaining everything to them, and them checking that her story was true by contacting Tsunade, they had agreed to give her a second chance. They also offered her an opportunity to make up for the work she had missed.

As for her apprenticeship with Tsunade… Well, the blonde hadn't welcomed her back with open arms and a warm hug, but she _had_ welcomed her back with a smile, ruffle of the hair and a "_I'm glad your back, kid_."

It was hard accepting the fact that her parents were really gone and she kept expecting them to just turn up at the condo, but like Sakura had told Gaara, it _had_ hit her. Thankfully, it was whilst she was in rehab, where they supported her fully and gave her the help she needed. Sakura could think of no other way to thank everyone there who had helped her, so she sent them all gift baskets with little cards, expressing how grateful she was.

"Your food is getting cold, Sakura–chan!" Naruto exclaimed teasingly, yet there was a more serious edge to his tone. "Don't be wasting ramen!"

She knew what he was really saying: _eat your ramen before I do_.

Sighing with mock defeat, Sakura nodded and lifted her free hand to grab her chopsticks. Just as she was about to tuck in, however, her phone began to ring, causing her to free both hands and grab her bag, shuffling through it for a few moments before she found her phone.

The name of the caller had her frowning softly, but she still answered. "Shisui?"

On the other line, there was a quiet chuckle. "_Is that any way to answer your phone, Sakura?_"

She rolled her eyes. "It's only you!"

In response, he sighed. "_Always so harsh_."

"So, what's up? I mean, there's a reason why you're calling me from the station, right?"

Gaara glanced up at her, frowning. On her other side, she vaguely noticed Naruto and Hinata doing the same.

"_Is there a chance we could speak in private, Sakura_?" Shisui asked her hesitantly, but his voice was still professional. "_Possibly at the station?_"

At the station? His words had a horrible unease running up her spine. "H–Has something happened…?"

There was another sigh on the other end. "_Just come as soon as you can, please. Bring somebody with you. If you want, I can contact Itachi and have him–_"

"That won't… That won't be necessary. Gaara's here with me now and his car is just out front."

Gaara looked at her questioningly, pausing in his eating. "_Okay,_" Shisui replied quietly, "_I will see you soon_."

As soon as she hung up the phone, Sakura was standing. "Gaara, Shisui wants us to go to the station."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances, wondering what could be happening, before he turned and began to question Sakura, but it seemed the dark haired woman had a calming effect on the blond for the moment she placed her hand on his arm, he stopped in his shouting. Hinata shook her head at him silently, telling him to stay out of it. If Sakura wanted them to know, she would tell them.

Even though he was unsure, Gaara could tell Sakura didn't have the answers he wanted so he instead stood up and placed down more than enough money for the bill, nodding once to Naruto when the blond grinned in thanks. Grabbing Sakura's shopping bags, he walked out of the ramen stand with her right behind him, taking her place by his side as they made their way to his car.

* * *

><p>The drive went by much too quickly, in Sakura's honest opinion, and the curling unease in her stomach only continued to grow until she was certain that she was about to throw up. Gaara seemed to realise that, too, for he opened the window for her, allowing Sakura to take deep, calming breaths. It kind of messed her hair up, but she didn't complain. Instead, Sakura reached behind her and tied it into a high ponytail.<p>

"Maybe they've found something?" Sakura murmured thoughtfully, glancing over at Gaara.

He kept his eyes on the road. "Perhaps. Did Shisui tell you anything?"

"No. He just asked me to come to the station and bring somebody with me." she sighed and sat back in her seat, staring out at the road. It was fairly busy but thankfully not jam–packed like it could have been. "Do you think it could be something bad? If he's not telling me over the phone, I mean."

"There's no telling." he told her in return, turning into a car park that was vaguely familiar to her. There were only a handful of times that Sakura had been to the station. "He could have asked for you to come to the station for a number of reasons."

That was true.

Once Gaara had found a parking space, they got out of the car and he locked it as they walked towards the station. It didn't look like much from the outside – just your ordinary, everyday police headquarters. There were a few police cars in the parking lot, although there were most likely more of them behind the barbed wired fencing at the side of the building. To keep thieves out, most likely.

One of the officers in the reception area showed them to Shisui's office, taking them into the elevator and up a few floors. He didn't run the entire police force, but he ran a large amount of it and all other officers looked to Shisui with respect. Whilst he received orders, he gave more of them out. Sakura could remember Itachi telling her the official name of Shisui's role, though she couldn't seem to recall it. All Sakura knew, was that Shisui was a very powerful, highly respected and influential man. Many looked up to him.

"Here we are." the officer smiled politely. "Is Uchiha–taichou expecting you?"

Sakura nodded once at the woman, but couldn't bring herself to return the smile. "He is."

Nodding, the officer knocked on the door. It was the knock all police officers had – that stern, 'you better answer the door right now' knock. After hearing a "come in", she pushed the door open. "Uchiha–taichou, you have some visitors."

From within the office, Sakura and Gaara heard him tell her to let them in. Without another word, she did.

They entered the office silently, Sakura's stomach in knots and her heart beating fast. His office wasn't anything too special and was in fact rather basic, though she hadn't expected much different from him. Shisui was like Itachi in that way. They didn't care for luxurious looking offices and simply took what they were given, making the best out of it.

"I'm glad you got here as soon as you could." he told them quietly, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. They seemed just as comfortable as the one Shisui was sat down in. "How are you feeling, Sakura? Much better, I hope." she could only nod and noticing this, he got down to business even though Sakura refused to sit down, seeming too nervous and on edge to do so. "Sakura, I called you here today to inform you that Haruno Kazashi's death was not an accident." Shisui sighed, trying his best not to see the horrified pain in her eyes. "The autopsy results came back just this morning. They are saying that there was some sort of snack in Kazashi's stomach, a cookie of sorts."

Sakura shook her head and gave a soft, pained chuckle. "Mom always told him to lay off of cookies because of his health."

The Uchiha smiled at the memory, also recalling the many times he'd heard Mebuki snapping at Kazashi to stop eating so much because of the effect it had on his health. Shisui shook the memory away. Right now, he had to be professional. "As well as the cookies, there was a hardly detectable poison." Sakura paled, as did Gaara. "It was difficult for them to discover, but they can confirm that the poison causes heart attack symptoms, which led those at the hospital to believe that was how he died."

She was thankful for the seats that were behind her, because Sakura suddenly collapsed backwards into one, looking as though she had gone into shock. Her father… He had been poisoned. He had been _murdered_.

"How did the poison get into his system?" Gaara asked for her, taking a seat into the only one by her side. "In all my time knowing Kazashi, he hasn't once eaten cookies made by anyone other than Mebuki and I know she would have never brought him any harm. She loved him."

It took a lot to hold back his helpless shrug. "We don't know how he came across the poison, but the cookies in his stomach were filled with the same substance, so wherever he got those cookies from, is the place that poisoned him. Just like you, however, Gaara–kun, I also personally knew Kazashi and Mebuki, therefore I already know he would have never eaten anyone else's cooking, and Mebuki would have never harmed her husband."

Sakura finally came back to herself, staring up at him with an unreadable expression. "Somebody planted those cookies there. Somebody made him believe they were made by my mom. He's never eaten anyone else's desserts. Even when we went out for meals, he never ate the desserts. My dad always said they tasted awful in comparison to my mom's."

Shisui nodded, glad that Sakura was keeping focused, that she was cooperating. "Did your father have any enemies, Sakura? Any competitors?" Sakura shook her head, already knowing that these were routine questions.

She already knew who had done it.

"It was Orochimaru's doing. Even if he wasn't the one who personally put down those cookies, who broke into my parents' home…" she growled at just the thought of somebody breaking in. "He hired somebody to do it. Somebody who is skilled with poisons."

That had been his exact thoughts. "And why do you think that?"

Her heart was pounding loudly with anger and it took a lot for Sakura to stay seated, to keep herself from screaming out loud with frustration and pain. If somebody wanted to hurt her, why hadn't they done it already? Harming the people she loved… No. Sakura would rather somebody came after _her_. Physical pain, to an extent, she could handle. "The letter that was left for me. The snake." she scowled, hands shaking as she wiped them on her jeans, trying to wipe away the sweat. "The letter… It said _'I'm just getting started'_ so maybe… Maybe they were talking about my father? Maybe it was a warning of some sort, warning me that they would be coming after my mother next?"

Again, his exact thoughts. Sakura truly was a smart girl and clearly, rehab had helped her sort her thoughts out, had helped her think more logically and clearly.

"Are there any updates on Orochimaru or his lackeys?" Gaara asked.

Shisui reluctantly shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I can assure you, however, that my officers are out there searching for them. Finding Orochimaru is one of our top priorities. As for Karin, we have received a few phone calls about possible sightings, although whenever we check into those sightings, we find nothing of importance."

Sakura released a shaky sigh. Orochimaru was one of their top priorities. That simple sentence made her feel a little safer. That meant the police force were doing their absolute best to track him down.

"Your way of thinking, Sakura," Shisui gave her a small smile, "is the same way as my own. Whilst we can't delve too deep into the investigation until we know that everything is for sure, I can tell you now that it _is_ connected. Your mother, your father…" he paused for a moment, eyebrows knitting together. "I promised you not too long ago that I would find out who murdered your parents, Sakura. Right now, we have found out who did that. We just need to catch them and bring them to justice."

She nodded quickly. "A–And everyone else? All my other friends and family… Are they safe? Gaara, Naruto, Ino, Itachi and Sasuke… _You_? Are any of the people I love and care for, safe?"

That was something he sadly could not promise and seeing that look in his eyes, Gaara frowned down at Sakura. Worrying too much was going to make her ill, but no matter how badly he wanted to tell her not to worry, Gaara knew that she still would. "You're forgetting that most of us can fight, Sakura." he told her quietly, trying to ease her mind somewhat. "So we can defend ourselves. Also, Orochimaru cannot act too recklessly with his actions."

Seeing where he was going with his words, Shisui nodded in agreement. "You're also forgetting just how powerful some of your friends are, Sakura. Maybe not all physically, but socially. If anything happened to Yamanaka Ino, you would have her entire fan–club rioting in the streets. The same goes for Gaara–kun, Itachi and Sasuke. Naruto's mother will stop at nothing if her son's life is at risk." Sakura couldn't help but give a weak smirk. "Also, Itachi taught Sasuke self–defence at a young age – and I was the one to teach _him_!" giving her a small smile, he added, "Try not to worry too much, Sakura. I will issue everyone with warnings later on this evening."

"What will you tell them?" Gaara asked for her.

"I will tell your female friends not to travel alone – not in a sexist way!" he added quickly, noticing her scowl. "What I mean is… Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino… I will warn both of them just how powerful Orochimaru really is and I will make sure that they understand just how important it is that they make sure all doors and windows in their homes are locked, that they do not go out after dark or into secluded areas, alone. Of course, I'll be giving the same warning to your male friends, but can you honestly see somebody like Gaara–kun or Itachi being easily overpowered?"

There was no thinking about it. Sakura had seen them all fighting before, so she knew how strong they all were. "Can you include Tsunade–shishou to that list? I know she's scarily strong, but just in case."

He nodded in understanding. "Is there anyone else who is important to you?"

She thought about it long and hard, her eyebrows knitting together as she did so. "Gaara's siblings, Sai and Kakashi." Sakura stated, noticing how Gaara tensed minutely as he realised they would also be in danger. "I think you know all of my other friends, though. And you definitely know everyone I consider to be family."

"There is also another reason why I called you here." Shisui sighed after writing down the extra names. "I thought it would be best coming from somebody you know." when Sakura nodded once, telling him to go on, he did so. "We will be releasing your parents' bodies some time next week. If you want to start making arrangements for them, now will be the time to do so."

Her breath left her. Arrangements. Funeral. Sakura had forgotten all about the fact they would be having a funeral! Her parents had been kept away for so long that she had honestly forgotten about it. "A joint funeral." Sakura nodded up at him. "Like Mikoto–san's and Fugaku–san's. I like the thought of them being together forever."

Shisui nodded once, ignoring the ache in his heart.

"Is that everything?" Sakura asked quietly.

"It is. But…" there was a moment of hesitance as Shisui stared at the couple, watching them stand up together. "If there's anything either of you need, please do not hesitate in contacting me. We may not be as close as you and Itachi are, Sakura, but I like to think of you as my younger, annoying sister. And Gaara–kun, you're Sakura's family, which means you're my family, too. Please, both of you, be safe."

They both nodded gratefully.

* * *

><p>It didn't take them long to get home, walking up to their apartment almost on autopilot. Like on the way to the car, Gaara was carrying Sakura's bags for her, though he didn't complain.<p>

"We'll have to go grocery shopping soon." Sakura said quietly as they left the elevator and she pulled out the keys to their apartment. "Invite Temari and Kankuro over tomorrow or the day after instead. I don't think I'm really in the mood tonight for much."

He nodded silently, understanding.

As soon as the door was open, a large dog was darting towards her, his nails scraping and slipping on the wooden floor when he couldn't find traction. Ao greeted his owners happily, excitedly, seeming to pick up on Sakura's mood but trying to cheer her up in his own way.

Shutting and locking the door once Gaara was in, Sakura sighed and leaned back against it.

"Sakura…" Gaara sighed sadly, placing the bags of shopping down and making his way over to her.

It was hard to explain the gut–wrenching feeling in her stomach. Hard to explain the ache in her heart. And no matter how hard she tried, Sakura just could not stop the tears that started to flow relentlessly. Even when her face started to burn, even when her throat felt tight, even when her eyes began to ache and her head was pounding, she just couldn't stop.

Gaara held her through it all, keeping her face buried into his neck as he soothingly ran his hand through her hair, as he gently pressed the occasional kiss on the top of her head and tightened his hold on her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Merry Christmas!**

**Not a very cheery chapter, but what can you do?**

**I hope you all have an amazing Christmas! :-D**


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